§ Lawrie QuinnTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will announce the(a) ministerial priorities and (b) Best Value performance indicators for the police for 2002–03. [46683]
§ Mr. DenhamI am pleased to announce that the statutory instruments have now been laid before the House. The Ministerial Priorities, which will come into effect on 1 April 2002, are
to help create safe communities by reducing crime, anti-social behaviour and disorder through effective partnership working, including reducing the availability and use of Class A drugs;to reduce the fear of crime in all sections of the community and in particular to increase the trust and confidence in policing amongst minority ethnic communities; andto increase the number of offences for which offenders, and particularly persistent offenders, are caught and brought to justice, in partnership with other criminal justice agencies.Subject to the approval of both Houses, the Best Value Performance Indicators will also come into effect on 1 April 2002. My right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary, has honoured his undertaking to the police that he would make a significant reduction to the number of indicators to focus police effort where it is most needed. The full list will be placed in the Library in the next few days.
889WThe Home Secretary will, by the summer, introduce a performance indicator on tackling persistent offenders. Persistent offenders must be caught and dealt with to protect the public from their activities. An indicator to measure police success in driving up performance will be introduced as soon as data collection systems are in place.