| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
HOME DEPARTMENT
Sex Offenders
17. Mr. Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to ensure that children are protected from convicted sex offenders. [30355]
Mr. Straw: Under the Crime and Disorder Bill, the courts will have power to prohibit a sex offender from behaviour which gives reasonable cause for concern and to impose extended periods of supervision of sex offenders for up to 10 years following a period of imprisonment.
Crime Prevention
21. Mr. St. Aubyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received about the adequacy of his Department's funding in respect of crime prevention. [30359]
Mr. Michael: I am delighted by the positive response from the Police and from local authorities to our proposals for local action to cut crime. Responses to our consultation document did include comments on resource issues but there is general acceptance that there is not a big pot of new money, and palpable enthusiasm for our proposals which are set out in the Crime and Disorder Bill.
Avon and Somerset Police Authority
24. Mrs. Ballard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the resources made available to Avon and Somerset Police Authority. [30362]
2 Mar 1998 : Column: 465
Mr. Michael:
Avon and Somerset Police Authority will have a total spending power of £167.4 million in 1998-99, an increase of £6.1 million or 3.8 per cent. over 1997-98. This is slightly higher than the national average increase of 3.7 per cent., and is a healthy rise at a time of public expenditure constraint.
25. Mr. Syms:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much compensation for handguns he estimates will have been paid to gun owners in 1997-98. [30363]
Mr. Michael:
Over £35 million has been paid out in compensation and this is likely to rise to between £40 million and £50 million by the end of the 1997-98 financial year.
Mr. Letwin:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of claims for firearms compensation under Options A and B had been met by 20 February. [32072]
Mr. Michael:
Around two thirds of the claims received under Options A and B of the large calibre handgun surrender scheme, including the Option A and B elements of mixed claims also involving Option C, had been approved for payment by 20 February.
26. Mr. Ben Chapman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to make bribery of right hon. and hon. Members an offence. [30364]
Mr. Michael:
When my right hon. Friend appeared before the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Privilege on 20 January, he emphasised that the Government are committed to tackling all forms of corruption including the bribery of hon. Members. My right hon. Friend expects to make a statement on the reform of the law in this area soon, taking account of the results of the consultation exercise which he launched in June last year and the recommendations of the forthcoming Law Commission report on Corruption Offences. He will also take account of the views of the Joint Committee on Parliamentary Privilege.
27. Ms Moran:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has taken to curtail hooliganism during the World cup. [30365]
Mr. Michael:
My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has just hosted a European conference to focus international efforts to combat soccer violence. We are working closely with the French authorities who are responsible for the management and security of the World cup tournament to prevent crowd trouble involving Scotland and England fans during the World cup.
28. Mr. Corbett:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the powers to be given to the proposed young offenders teams in helping to tackle youth crime. [30366]
2 Mar 1998 : Column: 466
Mr. Michael:
The Crime and Disorder Bill places duties rather than powers on youth offending teams. Stopping young people offending usually involves challenging several aspects of their lives. That is why the youth offenders teams will co-ordinate the provision of youth justice services in their area in accordance with the local youth justice plan. Team members will supervise and enforce community penalties. Staff of the relevant local agencies will work together as an integrated team to challenge young people's offending behaviour.
29. Dr. Lynne Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to increase the availability of local secure accommodation for juveniles charged with several offences. [30367]
Mr. Michael:
A new duty on local authorities to provide bail support for juveniles awaiting trial or sentence, together with measures to speed up the youth justice process, should help to reduce the pressures on existing secure accommodation. The Government's review of all forms of juvenile secure accommodation, which will be completed shortly, will inform decisions about the best use of that accommodation and whether there should be any further expansion in local authority secure accommodation, which is expected to reach 460 places by the end of 1998.
30. Mr. Blizzard:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his policy for ensuring children are protected from exposure to pornographic material. [30368]
Mr. Michael:
It is the Government's policy to protect children from exposure to pornographic material by the use of the existing law in respect of films, videos, publications, broadcast programmes and electronic transmissions between computers as well as indecent photographs or pseudo photographs.
We also encourage other non-statutory schemes which are designed to protect young people from unsuitable material such as the working group of representatives from the Internet Watch Foundation and Internet Service Providers which is devising a common ratings system for United Kingdom internet Users, the voluntary Code of Practice which requires newsagents to refuse to sell 'adult' magazines to persons under the age of 18, and the Teenage Magazine Arbitration Panel (TMAP) which seeks to regulate the contents of teenage magazines.
31. Mr. Sutcliffe:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he proposes to tackle disorder and anti-social behaviour. [30369]
Mr. Michael:
The Crime and Disorder Bill contains a number of new powers. Chief of these are: statutory local crime prevention partnerships led jointly by local authorities and the police; Anti-social Behaviour Orders
2 Mar 1998 : Column: 467
which local authorities and the police will be able to seek from a court to restrict the behaviour of those who engage in such conduct; welfare-based Child Safety Orders to protect children under 10 from developing offending behaviour; and local child curfews to protect both young children and their local communities.
32. Mr. MacShane:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to ensure that support and guidance is given to parents of young offenders. [30372]
Mr. Michael:
As part of our radical reform of the youth justice system, we will introduce a new Parenting Order which will encourage parents to accept their responsibilities for the behaviour of their children. It will allow the court to direct that parents exercise control over their children and also allow the court to require parents to receive training and guidance.
33. Mr. Randall:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the criteria for proscribing terrorist organisations. [30373]
Mr. Straw:
Section 1 of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 provides that the Secretary of State may proscribe any organisation that appears to him to be concerned in, or in promoting or encouraging, terrorism occurring in the United Kingdom and connected with the affairs of Northern Ireland.
34. Mr. Gareth Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning links between under-age drinking and violent, loutish behaviour in town centres. [30374]
Mr. Michael:
The public, police officers and local councillors have all indicated that alcohol-related crime and disorder including that involving underage drinkers, is a significant problem. We have implemented the Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 and will be legislating to clarify the law relating to adults buying alcohol for children and the use of children in test purchases. The Anti-Social Behaviour Order and other provisions in the Crime and Disorder Bill will also help with specific local problems.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |