To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in each area have been approved by the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme since it was introduced. (302192)

Community Safety Accreditation Schemes allow Chief Officers to designate limited powers to employees of organisations which contribute towards community safety and tackling antisocial behaviour (ASB) such as park wardens, train operators and private security guards. These powers enhance the contribution of people in roles that are already concerned with keeping communities safe; and mean that there are more people on the streets with powers to tackle and not tolerate ASB.

The Home Office does not hold the information requested centrally. In order to provide an answer, all police forces that have operated a scheme would have to be asked to provide figures and this could be done only at disproportionate cost. The Home Office does conduct an annual audit of persons accredited by each police force. This is a snapshot of accredited persons at one time and does not represent all people accredited over time. Figures for accredited persons in the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency are collected separately as theirs is a specialist role with a single power granted to stop vehicles for testing. The last published figures, for 2008, are set out in the following table. The 2009 CSAS audit was published on the Home Office website on 15 December 2009 and can be accessed at:

http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/community-policing/citizen-focused-policing/community-safety-accredit-scheme/index29f9.html?version=9