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The Earl of Shrewsbury: My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that reply. I must declare an interest as the current chairman of the British Shooting Sports Council and as a former chairman of the Firearms Consultative Committee. Will the Minister confirm that violent crime is higher than this time last year and that, indeed, gun crime has more than doubled since 1997? Will she further confirm that the majority of gun crimes were committed using illegal firearms?

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, I will not confirm those figures, but I will tell noble Lords why that is so. First, there is a difficulty because the method of counting offences has changed. Noble Lords will know that, for example, offences such as assault and harassment were added to the list of notifiable offences. Secondly, I refer to offences that used to be counted as one, offence per victim. For example, two groups of four attacking each other could now constitute eight offences where previously it would have been one of affray. That is why I cannot confirm that there has been an increase: the way in which we count these offences has changed. In addition, we have made a concerted effort to enhance the reporting of offences such as domestic violence—high levels of common assault arise from that—and sexual offending. For those reasons we hope that the figures are increasing.

Lord Dholakia: My Lords, does the Minister accept that recent incidents in Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and London are a matter of serious concern? Does she also accept that there is evidence that guns are an essential part of gang culture where drugs play an important role? Are there any specially designed school and youth club projects to divert young people from becoming involved in such crime?
 
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Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, while gun crime absolutely remains an issue it is relatively rare in this country, as the noble Lord will know. The Government recognise the devastating effect of these crimes on the families of victims and on local communities where they take place. The Government are determined to tackle gun crime and the underlying culture that supports it. We are working with police and other statutory agencies, the voluntary sector and local communities in that regard. We have funded a number of programmes that seek to divert those people from that kind of activity.

Lord Merlyn-Rees: My Lords, does my noble friend care to consider the figures for the same period in the 1970s and compare them with the following Conservative government's? She will find that whether it was a matter of gun crime or ordinary crime the Home Secretary of the day must have been scintillatingly good.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, I can only agree with my noble friend.

Lord Marlesford: My Lords, the Minister will be well aware that for the past seven years the Government have failed to implement Parliament's requirement for a central register of guns and of applications. Does she remember that her noble friend Lord Rooker said on 27 January:

"Our expectation is that we will probably be ready for roll-out by July this summer"?—[Official Report, 27/1/05; col. 1389.]?

As there have been so many failures to meet undertakings given, will the noble Baroness confirm that that is still likely?

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, the noble Lord has rightly pressed this question on a number of occasions and I know from my noble friend Lord Rooker that he has had pleasure in answering. As the noble Lord will be aware, we want to see this introduced. The Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) is pressing ahead to resolve the difficulties which are principally related to in-force information systems and the amount of traffic they can handle. We shall certainly write to the noble Lord as soon as we have further information.

The Lord Bishop of Wakefield: My Lords, will the noble Baroness comment on how effective she considers police and community initiatives have been, for example, the police initiative, Operation Goodwood, in Manchester and the faith communities' initiative, Street Pastors? Will she also comment on the effectiveness over the past 12 months of the outcome of the Home Office conference, Connected, which was held in January 2004?

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, I am happy to confirm to the right reverend Prelate that we believe those measures have had significant and important
 
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impacts. They are a way forward. The joining together of all those working in the community to reduce the incidence of violence, particularly violence involving gun crime, has been instrumental in the drop in figures that we have seen in a number of areas. We will seek to continue that approach to meet this difficult issue.

Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate: My Lords—

Lord Tanlaw: My Lords, can the Minister clarify the point that she made when she answered the noble Lord opposite? Is it really not possible that the names and addresses of those who have sporting licences for shotguns and rifles cannot be matched against the names and addresses of those who have been convicted of gun crimes? If that is so, we still do not know how many gun crimes, if any, have been committed by people who are holders of sporting gun licences.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, noble Lords will be aware—I am sure that it has been debated on a number of occasions in this House—that the 43 police areas have different systems of IT; and that PITO is pressing ahead as hard as it can to resolve the difficulties, which are principally related to in-force information systems and how they correlate. Those matters are being energetically looked at, not least because I am confident that the noble Lord, Lord Marlesford, and others will continue to press this issue, rightly, until they get an answer. That is a helpful spur to those of us who come to the Dispatch Box.

Baroness Howells of St Davids: My Lords—

Baroness Trumpington: My Lords—

The Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos): Next Question, my Lords.

Disabled Facilities Grant: Review

2.52 p.m.

Lord Rix asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the current disabled facilities grant review will consider the full costs and benefits of abolishing the means test for families with disabled children.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: My Lords, the current review of disabled facilities grants will examine the operation and outcomes of the programme and make proposals to improve the efficiency and fairness of the provision of housing adaptations for disabled people. That includes examining a range of options for improving the means test, including looking at the particular needs of families with a disabled child. Officials are due to report back to Ministers in May this year, and any proposals for change will be put out for consultation following that.

Lord Rix: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. Is he aware that there is an Early-Day Motion
 
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in another place, with nearly 150 signatures attached, asking the Government not merely to review the disabled facilities grant means test but to abolish it altogether? Will that cross-party parliamentary statement have any effect on the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for the good of those who wish to see the means test abolished?

Lord Bassam of Brighton: My Lords, I am aware, and the department is aware, of the Early-Day Motion. I assure the noble Lord that we will certainly take account of the strongly expressed views as set out in the EDM before deciding what changes should be made to the disabled facilities grant. Clearly, it would be wrong of me today to prejudge the conclusions of the disabled facilities grant review at this stage.

Lord Renton: My Lords, would the noble Lord bear in mind my experience? I have three daughters. The two eldest ones are very bright and have done well; they not only married well but they have done well financially. My third and youngest daughter, who cannot talk, cannot walk and is severely disabled, has cost much more in her upbringing than her two sisters have. Therefore, it seems that the Government should be favourable towards the parents of disabled children.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: My Lords, clearly the noble Lord makes a point that will be widely acknowledged and accepted. I have great respect for the noble Lord and for his views on this subject. The Government have made a substantial commitment to assisting those who have a disabled member of the family. Since 1997, we have more than doubled the amount of money spent on the disabled facilities grant; we have eased the way in which the means test operates; and now we have launched the fundamental review, which looks at the whole question of the means test and the way in which it will work in the future. That is the way to make a rational approach to what is a sensitive area of public policy.

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