§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the level of social exclusion in the city of Newport; and how his recently announced programme will measure a change in social exclusion. [63336]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 20 June 2002]: The Newport Community Safety Partnership undertook a very thorough audit of crime and disorder in the city which informed their 'Strategy to Reduce Crime and Disorder in Newport 2002–05', which I launched publicly on 17 June 2002. Many people and groups were consulted during the audit process including councillors, MPs, interest groups and minority groups.
The new strategy provides not only a clear direction for combating crime and disorder, but also addresses social inclusion issues. The strategy sets out clear objectives, performance indicators and targets for its key aims and progress against these will be the measure of its effectiveness. The strategy aims to: encourage good citizenship among young people; reduce the number of violent crimes; reduce the level of property crime; reduce the impact of drugs and alcohol and make Newport a safer place. Change will also be evinced by the Welsh Assembly Government's own social inclusion programme, which includes the Communities First initiative.