§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Caernarfon constituency, the effects on Caernarfon of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997; [154943]
(2) if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Ynys MÔn constituency, the effects on Ynys MÔn of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997; [154936]
(3) if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Meirionnydd Nant Conwy constituency, the effects on Meirionnydd Nant Conwy of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997; [154942]
(4) if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Ceredigion constituency, the effects on Ceredigion of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154944]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeMy hon. Friend asked questions regarding the four constituencies of Caernarfon, Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Ynys MÔn and Ceredigion. 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 Home Office Annual Report 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 some examples relating to the Caernarfon, Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Ynys MÔn and Ceredigion constituencies or the immediate locality:
Neighbourhood Warden Schemes
Gwynedd county council has received £35,000 to provide one warden for the Maes Barcer estate, in the Caernarfon area, which has a higher than average incidence of crime and disorder. The bid relates very much to the council's overall housing strategy for improving the housing stock.
Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
Conwy county borough council was awarded £65,000 for the Conwy Mobile Unit, which is a portable system consisting of four cameras to monitor crime and disorder 'hotspots' throughout Conwy.
Gwynedd council was awarded £96,000 for the Bangor—Phase 2—Measgeirchen, a scheme that will provide eight cameras to cover the only access road to the estate and the main public, community and shopping facilities.
494WCeredigion county council was awarded approximately £206,000 for the Lampeter CCTV scheme, which will provide coverage for the Lampeter Town Centre, including three car parking areas, parts of the University campus and residential areas.
Youth Offending
The Youth Justice Board (YJB) is currently funding a Bail Support Scheme and three Intervention Schemes through the development fund in North and Mid Wales. A bail supervision scheme, Bail Information, Supervision and Support, is being run in Conwy, Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire, Gwynedd and Ynys MÔn. The YJB is contributing approximately £200,000 to the scheme.
North Wales Drug, Alcohol and Substance Abuse Treatment for Young People is being run in the six local authorities in the North of Wales (including Wrexham), by the North Wales health authority with the YJB contributing approximately £42,000.
Mid Wales Restorative Justice Challenge Project is a joint effort by Powys/Ceredigion involving Mid Wales Youth Offending Team (YOT). It is targeting young offenders at all stages of the criminal justice process from Final Warnings to Action Plans, Reparation Orders and Supervision. The project envisages use of victim offender mediation and direct and indirect reparation as appropriate. It has been awarded a grant from the YJB of approximately £184,000.
Mid Wales Cognitive Behaviour Programme targets high/medium risk repeat offenders. It is implementing 12 one and a half hour sessions designed to match young offenders learning style. There is CD Rom material and additional sessions for people with high criminogenic factors. A YJB grant has been awarded of approximately £84,000.
The Central North Wales YOT is engaging in multi-agency responses to youth crime including: a Bail Supervision Scheme to target and reduce the number of young people at risk of re-offending while on bail; a community reparation scheme with 11 agencies supporting community reparation work resulting in 60 per cent. of reparation work being community based and reducing delays within the court process by producing 98 per cent. of court reports within the agreed time scales. The YOT has also developed a protocol with appropriate agencies with the aim of involving parents in the youth justice process. A trained worker is in place to develop the opportunities for victims of crime to become involved in indirect reparation.
More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Caernarfon, Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Ynys MÔn and Ceredigion 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.