§ John CryerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the constituency, the effect on the Hornchurch constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [85081]
§ Mr. DenhamDetailed 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 2001–2002, is available in the Library. Information on recorded crime and policing is also published.
The impact of Home Office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects cannot be matched in the way requested although set out are examples relating to the Hornchurch constituency or the immediate locality, as follows:
Hornchurch benefits from projects which cover the wider area of Havering. The Havering Drugs Action Team is receiving £566,000 this year from a combined Home Office and Department of Health fund to develop and extend local drug treatment services. These funds will rise to £924,000 by 2005–06. Separately the current "Don't Buy Crime" campaign is raising awareness about purchasing stolen goods. This is part of the Home Office's "Safer Communities Initiative" under which £72,565 has been allocated to Havering for 2002–03.One recent initiative specifically affected Hornchurch: a London Regional Transport close circuit television (CCTV) scheme called the "Hewkeye Project", in which CCTV cameras and associated equipment provided coverage of a station car park. The project was a joint venture involving London Regional Transport, the British Transport Police and local partnerships. Forty-six other car parks in the London region also benefited from the scheme. The package is intended to reduce incidences of motor vehicle crime and the fear of crime for car park users and passengers.641W Essex was one of 27 police forces which successfully bid for funding for community support officers and in the year ending 31 March 2002 the Metropolitan Police Force strength had increased by over 1,300 officers compared with the previous 12 months.More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Hornchurch to a greater or lesser extent. For example:
The level of Class A drug abuse by under 25-year-olds has stabilised and we are increasing the emphasis on treatment as a response to drug abuse generally;The interim target of 60 per cent. of all asylum applications being decided within two months has been met;Vehicle crime is down 8.8 per cent. from levels in 1998–09.There have been no escapes by Category A prisoners since 1995.Information on the Home Office and its policies is also published on its website www.homeoffice.gov.uk