§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Tiverton and Honiton constituency, the effects on Tiverton and Honiton of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [157809]
§ 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 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 Tiverton and Honiton constituency or the immediate locality:
Targeted Policing Initiative
Under round two of the Targeted Policing Initiative Devon and Cornwall Constabulary have been awarded £81,000 for a project in the East Devon area. The project aims to focus on offender targeting for anti-social behaviour. This involves employment of a researcher/co-ordinator who would utilise existing Information Technology (IT) and resources to identify prolific criminals to be tackled by a "joined up" targeted approach.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
Mid-Devon district council were awarded £18,000 under round two of the CCTV initiative for a six-camera system covering Cullompton Town Centre.
Youth Offending
The Youth Justice Board (YJB) are contributing funding towards four intervention Schemes and one Bail Supervision Scheme in Devon that cover Tiverton and Honiton. The Parenting Skills Project is receiving approximately £43,000. The project aims to contribute to the prevention of offending by young people, by providing a range of up to 120 parental support packages annually. The Devon Mentoring Project aims to provide a swift intervention to young offenders so that they confront the consequences of their offence as close as possible to its commission. This project is receiving £52,000 from the YJB. The YJB are providing £52,000 towards the Devon Making Amends Project. The 136W objectives of this project are to prevent offending by providing various opportunities for young offenders to confront the consequences of their offending. £151,000 is being funded towards the Devon Intensive Supervision and Support Programme. This aims to develop life-skills and cognitive behavioural programme to help young offenders to survive independently within the community and to develop self awareness of the consequences of their offending on themselves, their victims and the wider community.
Approximately £75,000 is being contributed towards a Bail Support Scheme. This project aims to reduce re-offending among high risk/level offenders who are on bail or remand to courts.
More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Tiverton and Honiton 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 1999.Information on the Home Office and its policies is also published on its website www.homeoffice.gov.uk.