§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent from public funds on measures to combat burglary in each of the last 10 years; and what plans he has for such spending in each of the next three years. [105706]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeDetails of individual police force expenditure in England and Wales on measures to combat burglary are not held centrally. However, burglary is one of the key strategic objectives of most of the local Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. Centrally, of the £250 million budget for the Crime Reduction Programme, which runs from 1999–2000 to 2001–02, £62 million has been allocated to the Reducing Burglary Initiative. This Initiative supports projects undertaken by the Partnerships 373W which apply a range of anti-burglary measures. These projects are to be evaluated to identify what works and where, most cost-effectively.
So far, £4 million has been committed under the Initiative on the first 63 projects now under way. The balance will be allocated over the remaining two years of the Initiative with up to 200 round two projects beginning in March.