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4 Mar 2008 : Column 2288W—continued
Crimes of Violence: Crime Prevention
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to reduce the incidence of (a) knife crime, (b) gun crime and (c) violent crime. [187447]
Mr. Coaker: On 18 February 2008, the Home Office published ‘Saving Lives. Reducing Harm. Protecting the Public. An Action Plan for Tackling Violence 2008-11’. This sets out cross-Government work to reduce the most serious violent and sexual offences, and to ensure an effective and efficient response by the Criminal Justice System in bringing offenders to justice where they do occur. It includes actions to reduce knife crime, in particular involving young people, gun crime and gang-related violence.
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government has taken to reduce violent crime since 1997. [188410]
Mr. Coaker [holding answer 22 February 2008]: The Government have undertaken a wide-ranging programme to tackle violent crime which has resulted in a reduction of 31 per cent. since 1997.
For example, through the Tackling Violent Crime Programme, the Home Office has been working intensively with practitioners in a small number of local areas with high levels of more serious violent crime, to support their efforts to reduce alcohol-related crime and domestic violence, to improve police and other agencies’ performance and partnership working, and to improve local strategies. The Tackling Gangs Action Programme is also working in four cities (London, Liverpool, Manchester, and Birmingham) to tackle gangs and associated issues, in particular firearms.
As a further example, in the context of domestic violence, we have developed the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) process, whereby a range of agencies work together to share information about known domestic violence victims and develop co-ordinated multi-agency action plans to reduce the risk of repeat victimisation. In Cardiff, an independent evaluation has shown that MARACs there have cut repeat victimisation from over 30 per cent. to below 10 per cent.
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources have been committed to the delivery of the Action Plan for Tackling Violence 2008-11. [188824]
Mr. Coaker: Tackling violence is core business for the police and other agencies. In 2007-08, the Home Office has made over £7.5 billion available for spending on policing, crime reduction, antisocial behaviour and drug misuse in England and Wales.
In addition to this core funding, some extra resources will be committed to the delivery of the Tackling Violence Action Plan. Funding details have not been finalised, but will include a new £1 million campaign to challenge the ‘glamour’, fear and peer pressure that can drive youngsters to knife crime. More than £20 million will be made available over the next three years to support the rollout of multi-agency interventions and information sharing, involving local police, council and health workers across the country to manage and identify people at risk of committing serious violence as well as providing support for victims. We will also be providing resources for other actions in the plan.
Crimes of Violence: Football
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps the Government have taken to reduce football-related violence; [180973]
(2) what steps the Government have taken to prevent football spectators bringing weapons to matches. [180974]
Mr. Coaker:
Significant violence at football matches is now extremely rare. The multi-agency football disorder strategy introduced after Euro 2000 has been highly successful in reducing levels of English and Welsh football violence both at home and abroad. Arrests for offences of football violence, both inside and away from grounds, have decreased by 46 per cent. over the past three seasons and are now the lowest on
record. Last season around 39 million spectators attended football matches involving English and Welsh club and international teams and on average there was just one arrest in connection with each match. The arrests were for a wide variety of football-related offences committed inside and away from grounds and included a total of 41 arrests for possession of an offensive weapon. In view of the reduced risk of violence or disorder, and on the basis of a police risk assessment in respect of each match, 43 per cent. of all League and Cup matches in the 2006-07 season were played with no police in attendance.
The success of the Home Office co-ordinated strategy is a result of a number of factors, including tough but proportionate football banning order legislation, intelligence-led policing operations, integrated in-stadia safety and security arrangements and the dedication and commitment of all parties, including the fans. There is no complacency. Preventing and tackling the lingering, if much reduced, threat of football violence will continue to be treated as a high priority.
Debt Collection: Regulation
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps she has taken to bring the regulation of private bailiffs within the purview of the Security Industry Authority; and if she will make a statement. [187007]
Mr. Coaker: The Ministry of Justice will publish on its website in March the analysis of responses to their consultation paper, “Regulation of Enforcement Agents”. This recommends regulation of enforcement agents by the SIA. The Home Office has started work, with the Ministry of Justice, to draft an affirmative order which will amend Schedule 2 of the Private Security Industry Act 2001 to extend the remit of the SIA to licence enforcement agents. We aim for this to be laid before Parliament later this year, with a common commencement date in 2009. Further details about the timescale will be in the Final Impact Assessment, which the Ministry of Justice will publish later in the year.
Departmental Manpower
Mrs. May: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women of each civil service grade are employed by her Department. [172738]
Mr. Byrne: The number of staff (FTE) employed by Home Office broken down by grade and gender as at 30 September 2007 is as follows.
| Grade | Women | Men | Total |
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