§ Mr. RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Vale of Clwyd constituency, the effects on the Vale of Clwyd of his Department's policies and actions since May 1997. [151931]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe Home Office is working to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the right 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 1999–2000", 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 examples relating to the Vale of Clwyd constituency or the immediate locality are set out as follows:
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
The Rhyl south-east scheme was awarded £159,000 under the first round of the CCTV initiative. The scheme is a four-camera extension of the existing town centre system, covering three educational sites with additional surveillance capabilities for the surrounding residential and smaller commercial areas. The scheme proposes to impact on incidents of criminal damage, burglary and anti-social behaviour.
Reducing Burglary Initiative
One scheme, covering houses in multiple occupancy in Colwyn Bay, Abergele and Rhyl, elderly persons sheltered housing in Flintshire, and the areas of Gwenfro and Y Wern in Wrexham was awarded £33,000 under round two of the reducing burglary initiative. Interventions include: covert observations; high profile and targeted policing; high profile media press strategy; preparation/distribution of crime prevention literature and a crime stoppers campaign.
Youth Offending Teams (YOTs)
The central north Wales YOT covers the constituency of Vale of Clwyd. The YOT is making an excellent contribution to reducing delays within the court process 35W by producing 98 per cent. of court reports within the agreed timescales. A bail supervision scheme has been established to reduce the incidence of secure remands and reoffending by young people while on bail. The YOT is also performing well against national standards and objectives with 90 per cent. of all final warning assessments being completed within 14 days.
A community reparation scheme is being operated in support of the community-based court orders and 11 agencies are supporting community reparation work. As a result, 60 per cent. of local reparation work is community-based. There is also a trained YOT worker in place to consult and liaise with victims of crime on their willingness to become involved in direct reparation work. The YOT has also developed protocols with appropriate agencies with the aim of involving parents in the youth justice process.
The Youth Justice Board is also providing funding for Splash schemes to be run during Easter and summer school holidays in 2001. These schemes provide positive and constructive activities for young people most at risk of offending. Easter and summer Splash schemes are planned for Rhyl.
More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Vale of Clwyd 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 66,195 by the end of December 2000;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).