§ Mr. TippingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out the budget of the safer cities programme at a constant price basis for each year since its inception, together with a forecast for 1993–94.
§ Mr. JackThe expenditure on the safer cities programme for each year since it began in 1988 is as follows:
Cash £ 1993–94 prices £ 1988–89 211,000 278,000 1989–90 3,295,000 4,074,000 1990–91 6,349,000 7,270,000 1991–92 7,217,000 7,730,000 1992–93 17,358,000 7,560,000 1993–94 25,785,000 5,785,000 1 estimated. 2 planned. In 1993–94 expenditure is reduced while existing projects are winding down. It is expected to rise in later years as new projects come on stream.
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§ Mr. TippingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evaluation has been made of the current safer cities projects; what external consultants are involved in this process; and if he will place a copy in the Library.
§ Mr. JackEvaluation is being carried out at three levels: of individual crime prevention schemes, of each project and of the programme as a whole. Project co-ordinators monitor the individual schemes promoted by their projects and assess effectiveness as work progresses. Thematic reviews drawing on this information are planned, the first of which, on the use of closed circuit television in car parks, is to be published shortly and will be placed in the Library. At project level, a study of the progress of projects in promoting local community safety strategies was published in December 1992 ("Safer Cities and Community Safety Strategies", crime prevention unit paper No. 38), a copy of which is in the Library. For the programme as a whole, an evaluation by the Home Office research and statistics department is in progress, focusing primarily on the impact of safer cities on crime rates and the fear of crime.
The report "Safer Cities and Community Safety Strategies" was written by Mr. Nicholas Tilley of Nottingham Polytechnic. Professor K. Pease (Manchester university), Professor Murray Stewart (Bristol university) act as external academic consultants to the programme level evaluation. Dr. R. Wiggins (City university) provides advice on data analysis.
§ Mr. TippingTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the current safer cities projects, indicating when they commenced and their planned completion dates.
§ Mr. JackThe information requested is as follows:
Safer Cities Programme Project Date established Date of planned completion of HO funding1 Birmingham August 1989 March 1994 Bradford November 1988 March 1994 Bristol January 1990 March 1994 Coventry October 1989 March 1994 Derby October 1991 September 1995 Hammersmith and Fulham December 1991 September 1995 Hartlepool September 1989 March 1994 Hull October 1989 March 1994 Islington January 1990 March 1994 Leicester October 1991 September 1995 Lewisham July 1989 March 1994 Middlesbrough October 1991 September 1995 Nottingham April 1989 March 1994 Rochdale August 1989 March 1994 Salford February 1990 March 1994 Sunderland August 1989 March 1994 Tower Hamlets December 1989 March 1994 Wandsworth January 1990 March 1994 Wirral September 1989 March 1994 Wolverhampton February 1989 March 1994 1 This is the date by which, on present planning, Home Office funding is due to cease. Projects may continue beyond this date if other resources can be secured locally to support them.