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Home Office

Answer

Miss Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, including statistical information, the effect on the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [149127] Mr. Charles Clarke: The Home Office is working to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced, and the protection and security of the public are maintained. Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in Home Office annual reports. A copy of the most recent report, Home Office annual report 1999-2000, is available in the Library. The impact of Home Office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects, such as recorded crime, cannot be matched in the way requested although set out below are examples relating to the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency or the immediate locality: Under the crime reduction programme, the following amounts have been awarded to Morecambe and Lunesdale: reducing burglary £53,600 (Morecambe close circuit television (CCTV) £144,000 Schemes reducing burglary initiative--a project under round one of the reducing burglary initiative was awarded £53,600 to tackle burglary in the Morecambe area. An application for further funding for the Morecambe area under round three has been received and is currently under consideration. The initiative has a lot of partnership working between the police and other agencies and is based around the following interventions: Alarms Improved Fencing in the area Improved Lighting CCTV--two schemes were awarded a total of £144,000 under the first round of the CCTV Initiative. The West End scheme in Morecambe, awarded £84,000 proposed four cameras to complement the existing camera covering shopping facilities and residential properties. The scheme intends to tackle vehicle crime, violent crime and burglary, in tandem with the alleygating scheme, which will force offenders onto main thoroughfares with CCTC coverage. The Cable Street scheme in Lancaster, awarded £60,000 proposed three cameras to cover the northern area of Lancaster town centre, to add to the 12-camera system also in operation. The scheme proposed to reduce fear of violent crime, reduce vehicle crime and burglary, as well as addressing the problem of anti-social behaviour. More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Morecambe and Lunesdale to a greater or lesser extent. For example: 376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships have been established; racial harassment and racially motivated crimes have been made criminal offences by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998: the asylum backlog has been cut from 103,495 at the end of January 2000 to 66,195 by the end of December 2000; and good progress is being made in reducing the incidence of fire deaths in England and Wales. They have dropped from 605 in 1997 to 534 in 1999.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

149127; 362 c744-6W

Session

2000-01

Subjects

Government departments Home Office Morecambe

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk