§ Judy MallaberTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Amber Valley constituency, the effects on Amber Valley of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [157132]
§ 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 565W 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 Amber Valley constituency or the immediate locality:
Targeted Policing Initiative (TPI)
Derby constabulary was awarded a total of £407,000 for two schemes under round 2 of the TPI.
Derbyshire constabulary was awarded £317,000 for a force-wide project, which included; Mapping of the drug markets, identifying key targets and routes of supply, analysing information about the market and the production of an individual strategy for each market. The mapping of drug markets will allow for the creation of a dynamic approach to tackling the problem.
Derbyshire police (with other forces) was awarded £90,000 for a force-wide project, which included; Distraction burglary—Undertake research into the distraction burglary problem: its true extent, how offenders target victims and how offenders can be deterred once they have selected a potential target.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
Amber Valley borough council was awarded approximately £127,000 for a 10-camera scheme, expanding the existing system into areas of Amber Valley's four main town centres, Alfreton, Belper, Heanor and Ripley.
Youth Offending
Amber Valley is covered by the Derbyshire Youth Offending Team (YOT). The Derbyshire YOT is providing Appropriate Adult services for young people when interviewed by police and has dealt with 242 requests for their services between April and December 2000. The Derbyshire YOT is utilising the ASSET assessment system in order to ensure intervention work is effectively targeted at the personal, family, social, educational and health problems that contribute to the causes of a young person's offending behaviour. The health staff attached to the YOT are carrying out basic assessments of young offenders for substance misuse and, where appropriate, referring them on to specialist substance misuse services for young people.
The police officers seconded to the Derbyshire and Derby City YOT have delivered 50 training sessions on the final warning scheme to over 1,200 police officers in order to ensure consistency of police assessment and referral to the YOTs. More than 12 community reparation schemes have been established throughout Derbyshire in order to allow the YOTs to deliver victim-offender 566W mediation services. There is a wide range of activities available to meet the needs of the young person and provide opportunities for further development through accredited training and skills.
Youth Service staff play a lead role in the development of preventative initiatives to support the action plans of local Crime and Disorder youth crime reduction strategies at local council level. Derbyshire Youth Offending Service was successful in being awarded "Summer Splash" funding in July 2000. The service worked with other providers front both voluntary agencies and the local district council to deliver a variety of activities in four wards of Bolsover. This resulted in a marked reduction of nuisance calls and offending in this area.
More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Amber Valley 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; andgood 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 1999Information on the Home Office and its policies is also published on its website www.homeoffice.gov.uk.