HC Deb 22 March 2001 vol 365 cc318-20W
Mr. Matthew Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Truro and St. Austell constituency, the effects on Truro and St. Austell of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154535]

Mr. Charles Clarke

The 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 Truro and St. Austell constituency or the immediate locality:

Targeted Policing Initiative

Devon and Cornwall Constabulary were awarded £950,000 under round two of the Targeted Policing Initiative for a force-wide project to tackle violent crime linked to alcohol abuse (Operation Amethyst). The project will provide immediate support to victims of domestic violence at hospital Accident and Emergency Departments. It will tackle on and off-licensed premises selling alcohol to those under the legal age limit. A media campaign will be launched to publicise the negative effects of alcohol. Youth workers will be provided to work with those people misusing alcohol. Other aims of the project include: creating an Alcohol Assessment Stabilisation Programme in conjunction with an arrest referral scheme; management of the licensing environment; creation of a Safety Advisory Group to provide guidance and advice, and provide education about alcohol.

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)

Restormel Borough Council was awarded £70,000 for a mobile system, which will complement the existing town centre schemes in St. Austell and Newquay and private sector facilities allowing crime and anti-social issues to be targeted in an area that is predominantly rural with scattered centres of population. The project aims to significantly reduce vehicle crime, violent crime and youth offending.

Carrick District Council was awarded approximately £644,000 to extend the existing CCTV provision in Falmouth and Truro by providing 25 new cameras and a new monitoring station. The scheme will link the hospital and college sites in Truro. The project aims to reduce overall crime in Truro City Centre and Falmouth Town Centre by 40 per cent. over three years.

Youth Offending Teams (YOTs)

Truro and St. Austell are covered by the Cornwall YOT. The YOT directly provides assessment and intervention work in support of: final warnings; bail support and supervision services; supervision of youth court orders and throughcare and post release supervision for young people sentenced to custody. The YOT also provides responsible officers for child safety and parenting orders. The YOT also manages the delivery of services supplied by other agencies including: drugs misuse assessment and intervention accessed through the RAPIDLY project, which is funded with the assistance of the Youth Justice Board and the Health Action Zone; and

the Hot Spot project dealing with young fire setters, which operates as a collaborative venture involving the Fire Service, Dreadnought and Social Services.

More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Truro and St. Austell 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; and 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.