§ Mr. RendelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Newbury constituency, the effects on Newbury and west Berkshire of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154574]
§ 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 latest report will be published shortly. Information on recorded crime and policing is also
146Wpublished. "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 Newbury constituency or the immediate locality:
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
West Berkshire Council was awarded £16,500 under round 1 of the CCTV Initiative for a Mobile Unit. The scheme will assist with specific problems, particularly car crime and anti-social behaviour in rural areas and on various housing estates.Youth Offending Teams (YOTs)
The West Berkshire YOT offers all young people receiving Final Warnings an assessment and intervention programme. The ASSET assessment tool is used at the beginning and end of all YOT interventions. Work has been done with the victim liaison project to maximise consultation with victims of youth crime and maximise opportunities for direct reparation to victims. A range of parenting groups has been organised across West Berkshire for parents of young people at risk of offending. With the assistance of police and courts targets for timescales from arrest to sentence of young offenders are consistently being met and intensive packages for supervision of young people at most risk of offending are being developed.The Youth Justice Board (YJB) are currently funding two Intervention Schemes and one Bail Supervision Scheme in Newbury and west Berkshire. The YJB are contributing approximately £41,000 to the West Berkshire Parenting, Education and Support Project. This project works towards developing an effective process to meet the expectations of the Crime and Disorder Act in relation to meeting the needs of the victim. It develops the principles of restorative justice establishing effective participant involvement, preparation, reparation agreements and evaluation. Almost £72,000 is being used to fund another intervention scheme: Developing Skills Accredited Community Service (Education, Training and Employment). This project develops and delivers support to families of children who may be offending or at risk of offending. A Bail Support Scheme to develop systems and interventions to prevent re-offending while on bail has been awarded nearly £44,000. The funding for these schemes runs from April 1999 until March 2002.More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Newbury 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; 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.