HC Deb 03 April 2001 vol 366 cc146-8W
Ms Moran

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effects on the Luton, South constituency of the Lord Chancellor's Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [156166]

Mr. Charles Clarke

I assume my hon. Friend is referring to the affects of Home Office policies and actions on the Luton, South constituency.

The 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 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 2000–01, is available in the Library. Information on recorded crime and policing is also published. "Recorded Crime England and Wales, 12 months to September 2000" and "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 30 September 2000" can be found in the Library. The recorded crime statistics include information on recorded crime by Basic Command Unit and Crime and Disorder partnerships.

The impact of Home Office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects, such as recorded crime, cannot be matched in the way requested although set out are examples relating to the Luton, South constituency or the immediate locality:

Reducing Burglary Initiative (RBI)

Under round 1 of the RBI, the area of Dallow, Luton was awarded approximately £70,000. This was used for target hardening, of repeat victimisation premises, including Homesafe burglary initiative i.e. installing gates, locks and lights. Identified streets were gated to create a 'ring of steel' to bolster the protection for the whole street.

Under round 2 of the initiative the areas of Biscot. High Town, Lewsey and South Wards were awarded £73,000 for a project with Bedfordshire police working in partnership with Luton borough council. The main interventions proposed for the project include target hardening and environmental improvement of a group of geographical hotspot areas.

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)

Luton borough council were awarded approximately £249,000 for two schemes submitted under round 1 of the CCTV initiative. Bury park/Dunstable road was awarded £180,000, providing cameras for one of the town's main roads. The area consists of shops, secondary housing, a community centre, a church and mosque and the Luton Town football stadium. The bid aims to reduce overall crime in the area by 50 per cent. over three years, particularly targeting violence against the person, vehicle crime and theft.

Luton station car park was awarded £68,000 for an eight-camera scheme to extend coverage of the car park, which currently has three cameras. The scheme aims to reduce overall vehicle crime, assaults and criminal damage by 50 per cent. over three years.

Youth Offending

Luton, South is covered by Luton Youth Offending Team (YOT). Luton YOT is a multi-agency team consisting of staff from Luton borough council working in partnership with Bedfordshire health authority, Bedfordshire police authority and Bedfordshire Probation Service. The YOT is closely involved with the Youth Court Action Group which also includes representatives from the police, courts, Crown Prosecution Service across Luton and Bedfordshire. The group has been established in order to deliver the Government's pledge to halve the arrest time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders from 142 to 71 days. The group meets regularly to review progress and refine procedures in order to achieve this target. The most recent local figure for Luton and Bedfordshire is 68 days.

The establishment of fortnightly 'case discussions' meetings involving all staff from the YOT has ensured that consideration is given to the skills and resources that might be available from all partner agencies in drawing up every Supervision Plan. In addition, a Service Level Agreement with Victim Support has ensured that all victims of crimes committed by children and young people, where the YOT might be involved, are contacted in order that consideration might be given to reparation being made available. There is a crime diversion scheme in place with Her Majesty's Prison Coldingley and Her Majesty's Prison Bullwood Hall where young people experience the reality of life of crime from drama and testimonies of serving prisoners.

The Youth Justice Service continues to develop in partnership with Luton borough's Community Safety Strategy, with the Crime and Disorder Executive operating as the YOT Strategic Management Group. This ensures that all agencies are committed to the joint approach and this has been further enhanced recently with the addition of the local Drug Action Team. The service was successful last year in gaining funding from the Youth Justice Board to develop a Youth Inclusion Programme which is managed on behalf of the partnership by the Safer Luton Partnership, a branch of Crime Concern. The programme targets young people at risk to ensure they are included in mainstream activities by offering support to help them overcome a variety of social problems. A summer activities group runs weekly during each school summer holiday targeted at young people at risk. Structured group work sessions take place in the mornings followed up by supervised activities in the afternoons. Recent discussions across all agencies about the issues associated with nuisance youths has led to the creation of the Youth Intervention Group which meets on a monthly basis to share information on those young people coming to the attention of the police for 'sub criminal' behaviour.

The introduction of Final Warnings in June 2000 built naturally on the success of the Youth Diversion Scheme. Assessments are carried out on all cases where the police decide a Final Warning is appropriate. The police officer seconded to the YOT is responsible for administering the warning, together with a member of the YOT when an intervention programme is to be offered. The YOT work in partnership with Spurgeons Childcare to develop groupwork programmes with parents on a statutory and voluntary basis. Comprehensive assessments continue to be carried out on the suitability of Parenting Orders whenever a young person is sentenced with the information detailed within the Pre-Sentence Report. Similar assessments are carried out when parents are prosecuted for failing to ensure their children receive education, and whenever an Anti-Social Behavioural Order is applied on a child or a young person. The successful application for funding under the Government's 'On track' initiative includes a joint post with Social Services to develop support for parents from Asian communities which will enable the YOT to introduce more culturally sensitive parenting programmes.

More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Luton South to a greater or lesser extent. For example: 376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships have been established; 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 103,495 at the end of January 2000 to 49,690 by the end of February 2001; and good progress is being made in reducing the incidence of fire deaths in England and Wales. They have dropped from 605 in 1997 to 534 in 1999.

Information on the Home Office and its policies is also published on its website www.homeoffice.gov.uk.