§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions by courts in the United Kingdom there have been for the(a) production and (b) distribution of child pornography material in the last 12 months. [32121]
§ Mr. Keith BradleyOffences of producing or distributing pornography are not directly identifiable on the Home Office Court Proceedings database. The available information, relating to possessing, taking or making indecent photographs, or pseudo-photographs, of children under the Protection of Children Act 1978 and the Criminal Justice Act 1988 or for possessing obscene material for gain under the Obscene Publications Act 1959, is shown in the table. These statistics relate to England and Wales in 2000. Statistics for 2001 will be available in the autumn.
Information relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Northern Ireland.
show that South Wales police had seen the two biggest falls in overall recorded crime, of 26 per cent., of any police force in England and Wales.
A number of Home Office initiatives funded under the Crime Reduction Programme will have a specific impact on crime levels in the Cynon Valley. Many of the Crime Reduction Programme projects and other funding streams listed benefit the Rhondda Cynon Taff unitary authority and Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership that cover Cynon Valley and the other two valleys that make up the Rhondda Cynon Taff area:
Crime Reduction Programme
Targeted Policing Initiative: A multi-agency project, liaising with five children's homes in the Rhondda Cynon Taff area, to tackle absenteeism, the development of criminal behaviour and vulnerability of youngsters—£500,000.Violence Against Women: a £11,706 domestic violence project in Rhondda Cynon Taff.Closed Circuit Television (CCTV): A total of £725,405 has been awarded to six CCTV projects in Rhondda Cynon Taff. Three of these are specific to the Cynon Valley area; Aberdare Town Centre project—£175,000; a Hirwaun project covering a residential area, car parks and community facilities—£79,105 and £31,500 for a residential area and shops project in Penywaun.Other Funding Streams
Under the "Small Retailers in Deprived Areas" initiative, £30,000 has been awarded to a Rhondda Cynon Taff scheme of which seven shops in the Cynon Valley area will receive a share. In addition, the Rhondda Cynon Taff Crime and Disorder Reduction309WPartnership have had £201,200 made available to them under the Communities Against Drugs Initiative, and £30,036 under the Partnership Development Fund.Police Numbers in South Wales
Police numbers in the South Wales police are have also increased since 1997. On 30 September 2001 the force had 3,241 police officers. This is a record number of officers and 265 more than the force had in March 1997. The deployment of resources to Cynon Valley and other parts of the South Wales police area is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. Civilian support staff in South Wales on 30 September was 1, 268–63 more than in March 1997.Further information on the Home Office and its policies is published on its website. (www.homeoffice.gov.uk).