To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans she has to make membership of a gang (a) an offence and (b) a factor to be taken into account in sentencing. (183950)

We have no plans to make membership of a gang, in and of itself, an offence. The Sentencing Guidelines Council has already declared that, where an offender operates in a group or gang, this should be regarded as an aggravating factor, indicative of a higher than usual level of culpability, to be taken into account in sentencing (Guideline on Overarching Principles: Seriousness, 16 December 2004).

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research she has evaluated on the link between crime and unhappiness. (187589)

Research has not been commissioned specifically looking at the link between crime and unhappiness.

However, the British Crime Survey (BCS) asks about the impact of crime and fear of crime on quality of life. The latest analysis, from the 2006-07 BCS, shows victims of crime were more likely to report that crime and fear of crime had a high or moderate impact on their quality of life than those who had not been victims. This analysis can be found in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin Crime in England and Wales 2006-07, a copy of which can be found in the House of Commons Library.