§ Gillian MerronTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Lincoln constituency, the effects on Lincoln of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [152977]
§ 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 1999–2000, is available in the Library. The next report will be published shortly. 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 Lincoln constituency or the immediate locality:
Reducing Burglary Initiative
One scheme in St. Giles Estate, Lincoln was awarded £60,000 under the Reducing Burglary Initiative which will include the employment of a Civilian Crime Reduction Officer. A multi-agency approach (Crime Prevention Officer, Police, Housing Department) will be taken to tackle issues including: anti-social tenants; community policing; targeting unemployment; social exclusion; substance misuse and extending Neighbourhood watch. The scheme will also concentrate on target hardening of houses that have been burgled and intelligence-led policing.
144WClosed Circuit Television (CCTV)
Under round one of the Crime Reduction Programme's CCTV initiative, the Lincoln Crime Reduction Executive was awarded £76,000 for the Shuttleworth House CCTV Initiative. The scheme covers a multi-storey block of flats in the Abbey Ward area of Lincoln. The main aims of the scheme are to combat fear of crime and to directly impact upon the incidence of racist graffiti.
Youth Offending Teams (YOTs)
In response to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, key agencies came together in partnership to initially set up the Youth Offending Service (YOS) in Lincolnshire. This group has now evolved into Lincolnshire in Partnership and oversees the YOS (Drug Action Team) (DAT), Road Safety Partnership, Domestic Violence Project etc. The group comprises the Chief Officers of Social Services, Health, Education, Police, Probation, Health, Highways and Planning, Director of Community Safety, Chief Crown Prosecutor, Chief Executive of Magistrates Courts Committee and a Chief Executive representing the District Councils. There is a very strong emphasis placed on working in Partnership in Lincolnshire, which is also reflected in the fact that Lincolnshire and Rutland will have one of the first Connexions Services in the country as of April 2000. There are three area YOTs covering the east, south and west of the county. The west YOT covers the City of Lincoln. Each team has representatives from the five key agencies and provides services predominantly to Young People in trouble, their families, the Police and the Courts. Lincoln City Council has a very active Crime Reduction Partnership Group and the YOS are involved in this group and the other six district council groups within the County. A range of new orders are available to the Courts including Reparation Orders, Action Plan Orders, Parenting Orders which the YOS are providing along with other Community sentences. Although it is too early to assess the full impact of the YOTs in Lincolnshire early indications are Promising. For example out of a total of 146 young offenders who have received an intervention from the YOS between October and December 2000, 86 per cent. or 130 young people have not been charged or convicted of a further offence.
145WMore generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Lincoln to a greater or lesser extent. For example:
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;he 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.