Lord Dixon-Smith (Conservative)

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What criteria they use to determine any objectives they set for police authorities under Section 37 of the Police Act 1996; and

How they measure the cost of any objectives they set for police authorities under Section 37 of the Police Act 1996; and

What criteria they use to determine any performance targets they set for police authorities under Section 38 of the Police Act 1996; and

How they measure the cost of any performance targets they set for police authorities under Section 38 of the Police Act 1996.

Lord Falconer of Thoroton (Minister of State (Criminal Policy), Home Office; Labour)

The criteria for setting the Government's objectives for policing under Section 37 of the Police Act 1996 are that they should focus police authorities' resources on those areas of policing which the Home Secretary considers to be a priority for the forthcoming year. This year's objectives are:

To help create safe communities by reducing crime, anti-social behaviour and disorder through effective partnership working, including reducing the availability of Class A drugs;

To reduce the fear of crime in all sections of the community and in particular to increase the trust and confidence in policing among minority ethnic communities;

To increase the number of offences for which offenders, and particularly persistent offenders, are caught and brought to justice, in partnership with other criminal justice agencies.

The objectives are set at a strategic level and do not lend themselves to specific cost analysis. It is for each police authority to decide how best to manage its resources to meet the objectives.

To date, no performance targets for police authorites have been set under Section 38 of the Police Act 1996. However, targets have been set for reductions in domestic burglary, vehicle crime and, in five major cities, robbery under Section 5 of the Local Government Act 1999.