Written question asked by Andrew Rosindell (Conservative) on Friday, 11 November 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 15 November 2005. It was answered by Hazel Blears (Labour) on Tuesday, 22 November 2005 on behalf of the Home Office.

Arson

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to reduce arson; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: The Government are fully committed to tackling arson through the achievement of our public service agreement targets to reduce deliberate fires, crime and the fear of crime and through our continued engagement in the work of the Arson Control Forum (ACF), which is led by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. The ACF (established in April 2001) provides the strategic direction for the national fight against arson. The Forum has invested a total of £11.3 million in local arson prevention initiatives since its creation.We have also recognised the important contribution of the fire and rescue service to multi-agency working. Since 1 April 2003, all fire and rescue service authorities have been statutory partners in local crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs). This is helping to ensure that the fire and rescue services play a full role in community safety and help local communities to tackle arson and the associated areas of crime.

Secondary information