HL Deb 29 March 2004 vol 659 cc131-3WA
Lord Avebury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How much was spent on alcohol by the Home Office in each of the financial years 1997–98 to 2002–03. [HL1936]

Baroness Scotland of Asthal

The Home Office does not have a dedicated funding programme for tackling alcohol-related crime and disorder although various initiatives across the Home Office can contribute to reducing this problem.

Prior to 2001–02, crime reduction funding was distributed through the Crime Reduction Programme on a project-by-project basis, but no specific investment was provided to tackle alcohol related crime and disorder.

The Safer Communities Initiative was conceived as a framework for providing CDRPs with funding to supplement mainstream activity to deliver a complementary activity plan of situational and social crime reduction interventions. CDRPs were allowed to use the money to include target hardening activity, supporting repeat victims of property crime; targeted policing activity; tackling anti-social behaviour and youth inclusion work. Plans could legitimately include activity to combat alcohol-related crime and disorder. All 376 CDRPs were allocated a share of the £20 million funding which was made available in 2002–03.

Since April 2003, the Building Safer Communities Fund (BSC) subsumed CAD and SCI, and provided CDRPs with further funding to address a wide range of crime according to local priorities, including any that are alcohol-related.

We also spent £60,481 in 2001–02 and £26,739 in 2002–03 on research that was alcohol-related. In 2002–03 £50,000 was also spent on a pilot alcohol arrest referral project in South Camden and £30,000 on a similar project in Watford. Future funding will be considered in the light of the recently published Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England and the spending round.