National identity scheme a step closer to reality / Home Office, 21 November 2008
http://www.ips.gov.uk/identity/downloads/NIS_Legislation.pdf
A consultation has been launched, paving the way for the next step of the government's national identity scheme. The introduction of the first identity cards for British citizens moved forward today as the government began a 12-week consultation on the finer detail of the scheme's next phase.

Home Office: Closure of premises for persistent disorder or nuisance (HTML format)
Departments: Home Office
Document type: Information

Date of publication: 21 November 2008

http://www.respect.gov.uk/members/article.aspx?id=12676

Summary:
This document explains premises closure orders, which are tenure-neutral powers that can be used to offer communities immediate respite by temporarily closing premises for three months.

400 foreign criminals allowed to stay in Britain
Up to 400 criminals involved in a foreign prisoner scandal, including some of the worst offenders, have been told they can stay in Britain, the Home Office has disclosed. / The Daily Telegraph, 20 November 2008
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/3490635/400-foreign-criminals-allowed-to-stay-in-Britain.html
Less than a third of the 1,013 convicts have been deported two and half years after the scandal broke and subsequently cost Charles Clarke his job as Home Secretary.
And many more could end up staying because 90 are still missing, 31 are in jail again and 160 are still going through the process. The figures emerged as immigration minister Phil Woolas admitted too many migrant workers have been let in under previous Government policies. He also launched another attack on asylum lawyers as he revealed the case of a Nigerian who had his claim rejected four times and was removed, only to have to be brought back because his solicitor lodged a judicial review."

Home Office: Drugs interventions programme / Home Office, 11 November 2008
http://drugs.homeoffice.gov.uk/publication-search/dip/dip-conditional-cautioning
"This page gives information on the Home Office's drugs intervention programme, which is a key part of the government's strategy for tackling drugs and reducing crime. A fact sheet on conditional cautioning has been added."

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary's Response to the Policing Green Paper / Home Office, 7 November 2008
http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/inspections/special_humberside_police_report/HMCIC_s_response_to_the_pol11

"This is Sir Ronnie Flanagan’s letter to the Home Secretary in response to the policing green paper. He outlines a future for the inspectorate that champions the public interest by seeking to significantly improve public confidence in the analysis and assessment of police performance and improvement."

Responding to Rape: Speech by Alan Campbell / Home Office, 7 November 2008
http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/Speeches/alan-campbell-speech-resonding
"This is a transcript of the speech by Home Office Minister Alan Campbell to the Lancashire and Cumbria Constabularies Joint Conference on 7 November 2008. He talks about the Government's role in ensuring that police have the support needed to deliver a first-class service to all victims of rape and sexual violence."

The Future of Policing: Speech by Jacqui Smith / Home Office, 7 November 2008
http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/Speeches/home-sec-speech-police-future
"This is a transcript of the speech by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to the Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Group on 5 November 2008. She talks about the challenges facing policing.

Police Reform e-Bulletin / Home Office, 5 November 2008
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/police-reform-e-bulletin/policing-policy-e-bulletin-119?view=Standard&pubID=592181
"This page links to the Police Reform e-Bulletin, which is published every fortnight for those working on the police reform programme. Issue 119 has been added.

Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Areas / Home Office, 5 November 2008
http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/police-reform/neighbourhood-crime-justice-area?view=Standard&pubID=592256
"This document lists the 60 areas across the country that have signed up to become new neighbourhood crime and justice pioneer areas."

'I picked her up by her throat' / BBC, 31 October 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7700257.stm
"The Home Office says it is making "significant progress" in a drive to tackle domestic violence, but concedes that more needs to be done - including in managing perpetrators. One man convicted of assaulting his girlfriend describes being the person who metes out the violence."

Home Office bullying "soft targets" to spin ID scheme says NO2ID / Public Technology, 26 September 2008
http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=17391
"The Home Secretary will round off the Labour Party conference by re-announcing "ID cards for foreigners". A system of biometric visas is being introduced for some foreign residents from November, but it is not really part of the National Identity Scheme, which has not been built yet.[1] This fact does not stop the government using the words "ID cards" together with a sly appeal to xenophobia, to buttress support for its unpopular scheme."

SNP says ID Cards 'will not make our communities more secure' / Public Technology, 26 September 2008
http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=17389
"SNP Home Affairs Spokesman Pete Wishart MP has yesterday commented on the publication of the UK Government’s ID card design that will initially be rolled out for foreign nationals. Mr Wishart said: “The SNP has opposed ID cards from the very outset. The UK Government’s abysmal record on data protection is reason enough to cancel ID cards."

HM Inspectorate of Constabulary: Inspection of resource leverage - Metropolitan Police Service / Home Office, 31 October 2008
http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmic/inspections/special_humberside_police_report/An_Inspection_of_Resource_H1.pdf
"This report evaluates the financial health and resource efficiency of the Metropolitan Police Service."

Tougher rules aimed at curbing population rise• Woolas believes points system will act as brake / The Guardian, 25 October 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/oct/25/immigrationpolicy-immigration-points-system
"Phil Woolas, the immigration minister, confirmed a toughening of Labour's immigration policy yesterday by indicating for the first time that the government is to use its new Australian-style points-based system to restrict the growth in Britain's population. Woolas signalled the shift in emphasis during a BBC Today programme interview yesterday given to counter the accusation that he had been gagged by the home secretary, Jacqui Smith, after his withdrawal from this week's edition of BBC TV's Question Time."

Office of National Statistics link to report?? cannot find

Police losing fight to stop cocaine use Number of people taking drug now tops 800,000,Home Office figures show / The Independent, 31 October 2008
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/police-losing-fight-to-stop-cocaine-use-980248.html
"Britain is losing the war against cocaine with new figures showing a dramatic increase in people using the drug over the past decade and a slump in the volume seized by police. The proportion of adults using cocaine in the past year has increased nearly four-fold since 1996, to an estimated 810,000 people a year, Home Office figures showed."

Government reclassifying cannabis despite fall in use / The Times, 31 October 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article5050871.ece
"Illegal drug use is in decline in England and Wales with cannabis use at its lowest level for a decade, according to a report. Despite the fall in use of cannabis, the Government said it was determined to press ahead with reclassifying the drug from Class C to Class B in January. The Home Office said the decision to reclassify was taken on the basis of the potential of cannabis to cause harm not on the prevalence of its use."

Report:Drug Misuse Declared: Findings from the 2007-08 British Crime Survey / Home Office,30 October 2008 http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/hosb1308.pdf

Police fail to record crime properly, as violence rises 22% / The Times 24 October 2008
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4998731.ece
"Serious violent crime is much worse than the Government has been claiming because police forces have been failing to record offences properly, it was disclosed yesterday."

Seizures of Drugs in England and Wales 2006-07 / Home Office, 30 October 2008
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/hosb1208.pdf
"These statistics cover the number of drug seizures made by police forces and HM Revenue and Customs in 2006-07, as well as the quantities seized."

Drug Misuse Declared: Findings from the 2007-08 British Crime Survey / Home Office, 30 October 2008
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/hosb1308.pdf
"These statistics cover self-reported drug use for adults and young people in England and Wales from the 2007-08 British Crime Survey."

A Complicated Business: A joint inspection of electronically monitored curfew requirements, orders and licences / Ministry of Justice, 28 October 2008
http://inspectorates.homeoffice.gov.uk/hmiprobation/inspect_reports/thematic-inspections1.html/Electronic_Monitoring_Thema1.pdf?view=Binary
"This is a joint inspection of electronically monitored curfew requirements, orders and licences by HMI Probation, HMI Court Administration and HMI Constabulary."