§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on his Department's Sustainable Development Strategy. [172305]
§ Fiona MactaggartThe Department's Sustainable Development Framework Project has been commissioned to develop, implement and manage a series of individual activities across the Home Office Group including the Prison Service. This project has been established to ensure the Department meets the environmental targets set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate. A review of existing initiatives and policies has been undertaken and a gap analysis produced to enable the development of individual work streams to address sustainable development targets. Progress against these individual work streams is being made and is monitored and reviewed regularly.
We have also made significant progress towards sustainable development targets on reducing crime and the fear of crime, and increasing voluntary and community activity. The British Crime Survey (BCS) data shows that vehicle thefts fell by 38 per cent. and burglary by 29 per cent. between 1991 and 2002–03. Recorded crime fell by 23 per cent. and burglary in dwellings by 17 per cent. between 1990 and 2002–03 and that the fear of crime is now lower than the levels in the 2001 British Crime Survey. The number of people engaged in community participation has increased by more than 6 per cent. to 1.6 million since 2001.