§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to encourage local communities in Coventry to tackle social exclusion. [46593]
§ Mr. MichaelA number of Home Office policies and programmes contribute to tackling aspects of social exclusion. These include, within local communities, its work to promote voluntary and community activity and to support a healthy and cost effective voluntary sector.
The Home Office has been working closely with the Social Exclusion Unit on the Unit's first three priorities of rough sleeping, school exclusions and truancy, and worst estates. In its recent report to the Prime Minister, the Social Exclusion Unit recognised that rough sleeping and related problems such as begging might be identified as local issues of concern by the crime and disorder audits required under the Crime and Disorder Bill [Lords]. They would therefore need to be addressed within the local crime reduction strategy.
The approach required by the Bill of local agencies and the local community working in partnership to address identified local problems with clear priorities and targets is particularly appropriate for tackling issues of social exclusion. I commend the way it has already been adopted by Coventry in production of the Coventry Community Plan.