HC Deb 24 July 2002 vol 389 cc1465-6W
Brian Cotter

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the £15 million grant funding to help retailers tackle crime in deprived areas has been allocated; to whom it has been allocated and over what time period. [71221]

Mr. John Denham

The £15 million from the Capital Modernisation Fund for the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas initiative has been made available in annual instalments of £3 million in 2001–02, £6 million in 2002–03 and £6 million in 2003–04. Apart from a small amount set aside for administration and evaluation, all this money has been allocated to regional Crime Reduction Directors, as in the table.

Region 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 Total (£)
Eastern 196,620 393,475 393,475 983,570
East
Midlands 236,060 471,052 471,052 1,178,164
London 454,720 910,515 910,515 2,275,750
North East 248,530 496,244 496,244 1,241,018
North West 470,670 942,209 942,209 2,355,088
South East 246,500 493,580 493,580 1,233,660
South West 194,300 389,604 389,604 973,508
Wales 190,820 381,257 381,257 953,334
West
Midlands 333,210 666,182 666,182 1,665,574
Yorkshire and Humber 327,410 655,882 655,882 1,639,174

For more details about the scheme, and the funding formula used, I would refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Ann Coffey) on 6 February 2002, Official Report, column 984W.

I placed in the Library at the same time a paper showing the allocation of funds to individual projects for 2001–02. I hope to announce shortly the projects we shall be funding in 2002–03.

Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make retail crime a best value indicator for police force performance. [54623]

Mr. John Denham

The Best Value Performance Indicators (BVPIs) for 2002–03 came into effect on 1 April 2002, following consultation with the Association of Police Authorities and the Association of Chief Police Officers. Following the Home Secretary's commitment in September last year to halve the number of indicators, there are currently 18 BVPIs as compared with 32 in 2001–02.

Whilst we have no plans to introduce an additional national performance indicator on retail crime, a police authority would be able to set a local performance indicator relating to retail crime should this be a particular problem locally.