§ Mr. KaufmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on the Manchester, Gorton constituency, of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [136170]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe Home Office is working to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced, and the protection and security of the public are maintained. Detailed information on the impact of the Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in Home Office Annual Reports. A copy of the most recent report, Home Office Annual Report 1999–2000, is available in the Library.
The impact of Home Office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects cannot be matched in the way requested although set out as follows are examples relating to Manchester, Gorton constituency or the immediate locality:
Crime data for all recorded offences are collected centrally at police force area level. Manchester, Gorton forms part of "C" Division of the Greater Manchester police, who have provided the following information on the overall number of recorded crimes in this division:
- year ending March 1997–41,373; and
- year ending March 2000–53,475.
These figures are not, however, directly comparable as there was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998 and the earlier figure excluded minor criminal damage.
A £47,000 burglary reduction project is focusing on students in Rusholme.
915WA £500,000 targeted policing project is looking at offending behaviour among armed criminals in South Manchester.
Gorton have a successful neighbourhood wardens bid of £185,000 to provide warden coverage in three parts of Gorton, namely Gorton North, South and West, using five wardens. This project aims to provide a visible, accessible presence in the area, with wardens having a crime prevention focus, complementing other services such as the police. There will also be work around the support of vulnerable people, such as the elderly, environmental and housing management issues.
More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Manchester, Gorton to a greater or lesser extent. For example:
376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships have been established;
the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 ensures greater protection for victims in rape trials;
Ministers have taken proper responsibility for the Prison Service;
racial harassment and racially motivated crimes have been made criminal offences by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998;
the asylum backlog has been cut from over 102,000 in January this year to below 76,000 by the end of September; and
good progress is being made in reducing the incidence of fire related deaths in the home.