Foresight Projects (Hansard, 19 September 2002)

§ Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the crime prevention panel of the Foresight projects. [69814]

§ Ms Hewitt
The Foresight Crime Prevention Panel was set up in April 1999 to run for three years. The Panel considered the likely developments in science, technology and society up to 20 years ahead and how these might impact on crime. The aim was to try and help UK Government, law enforcement, business, science and society prepare for the future.
In December 2000 the Panel published a report "Turning the Corner" which included five key recommendations for change. The Panel spent until March 2002 taking forward these recommendations, the three key outputs were: a framework for a national e-crime strategy for the Home Office. a wide range of research projects. Many of these will assist the Home Office in its future strategy on business crime: the impact of crime on business; the scope for a crime-proofing code of practice for manufacturers; the incentives needed for the adoption of such a code; and the new crime threats from e-tailing. a benchmarking research project which reviewed scientific research on crime prevention in the UK and identified capability gaps. This has paved the way for proposals for a dedicated programme of scientific research, led by the Home Office, to support crime prevention.

§ Bob Spink
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has for future funding of the Business Information Crime System operating under the Foresight initiative. [69815]

§ Brian Cotter
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has for future funding of the Business Information Crime System operating under the Foresight Initiative. [71216]

§ Ms Hewitt
DTI has no current plans for further funding of the Business Information Crime System (BICS), beyond the life of the current BICS research project. The project is expected to complete by June 2003.

§ Brian Cotter
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the crime prevention panel of the Foresight projects. [71225]

§ Ms Hewitt
The Foresight Crime Prevention Panel was set up in April 1999 to run for three years. The Panel considered the likely developments in science, technology and society up to 20 years ahead and how these might150W impact on crime. The aim was to try and help UK Government, law enforcement, business, science and society prepare for the future.
In December 2000 the Panel published a report "Turning the Corner" which included five key recommendations for change. The Panel spent until March 2002 taking forward these recommendations, the three key outputs were: a framework for a national e-crime strategy for the Home Office. a wide range of research projects. Many of these will assist the Home Office in its future strategy on business crime: the impact of crime on business; the scope for a crime-proofing code of practice for manufacturers; the incentives needed for the adoption of such a code; and the new crime threats from e-tailing. a benchmarking research project which reviewed scientific research on crime prevention in the UK and identified capability gaps. This has paved the way for proposals for a dedicated programme of scientific research, led by the Home Office, to support crime prevention.