To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what records her Department holds for crime statistics at more local levels than that of basic command units; whether such records are publicly available; and if she will make it her policy to set out a timetable for the publication of such statistics at ward level. (186466)

The recorded crime data returned to the Home Office by police forces are at police force, basic command unit and crime and disorder reduction partnerships levels. Data are not routinely submitted to the Home Office at smaller geographic levels. A pilot collection of recorded crime data at middle super output area level has been released by the Home Office on the Neighbourhood Statistics website. The data were provided on a voluntary basis by a number of forces and are available for years 2003-04 to 2005-06 for selected offences:

http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/dataset List.do?JSAllowed=true&Function=&percent24ph=60& CurrentPageId=60&step=1&CurrentTreeIndex=-1&searchString=&datasetFamilyId=904&Next.x=8&Next.y=9

As part of the broader agenda to enhance responsiveness, accountability and public engagement with policing and community safety, the Home Office are working with ACPO, the APA and practitioners from police forces, authorities and local partnerships on the provision of crime information at a level that would make sense to the public locally. The aim of the project is to make local data and information on policing, crime and community safety available on a monthly and consistent basis from July 2008 onwards by local agencies, such as police authorities, police forces and local authorities.