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Protecting the public, securing our future - a new Home Office for the 21st Century

HOME OFFICE News Release (079/2007) issued by The Government News Network on 9 May 2007

A new Home Office equipped to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century starts work today, refocused on meeting the most significant security issues facing the UK - crime, immigration and protection against terrorism.

The new, more focused role for the Home Office comes after a year long programme of reform and change, initiated by Home Secretary John Reid, including separate reviews of the immigration and criminal justice systems and a review of counter-terrorism capability commissioned by the Prime Minister.

From today, the department will be working towards the following strategic objectives:

* helping people feel safer in their homes and local communities;

* protecting the public from terrorist attack;

* cutting crime, especially violent, drug and alcohol related crime;

* supporting visible, responsive and accountable policing;

* strengthening our borders, fast-tracking asylum decisions, ensuring and enforcing compliance with our immigration laws and boosting Britain's economy;

* safeguarding people's identity and the privileges of citizenship;

* working with our partners to build an efficient, effective and proportionate criminal justice system.

Responsibilities for criminal law and sentencing, reducing reoffending, and prisons and probation will transfer from the Home Office to a new Ministry of Justice from today.

Home Secretary John Reid said:

"The world doesn't stand still and neither should we, which is why we have refocused the Home Office on the issues that matter the most to the public - crime, immigration and protection against terrorism.

"A new Office for Security and Counter-terrorism will ensure a seamless response to the terrorist threat, while the newly formed Border and Immigration Agency will build on successes in bringing asylum claims to their lowest in 10 years and removing record numbers of those with no right to be here.

"We will build a national ID card scheme to combat illegal immigration, organised crime and international terrorism and continue to deliver on our commitment to put visible, neighbourhood policing at the heart of our communities to protect the public from crime and anti-social behaviour.

"These are great issues of our time - issues of personal, community and national security. It is right that they should be the focus of the new Home Office that comes into being today - a Home Office dedicated to protecting the public and securing our future."

Permanent Secretary Sir David Normington said:

"From today, the Home Office will have a strengthened role coordinating the response to the UK terrorist threat alongside its responsibilities for the police, crime reduction, immigration and asylum, anti-social behaviour and Respect and identity and passports.

"All of us working at the Home Office at every level are determined to take forward this new and challenging remit while continuing the important reform agenda which began last July and against which we have already made significant progress.

"We will continue to work with our partners in the newly formed Ministry of Justice to ensure an effective and efficient criminal justice system."

Notes to editors:

1. The Prime Minister announced changes to Government structures to strengthen the capacity to deal with the real and unprecedented threat of terrorism on 29 March 2007. For details see http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page11377.asp

2. In July 2006 Home Secretary John Reid announced fundamental and radical changes to the Home Office, the criminal justice system and the immigration system. Three plans were published to transform the department into a more responsive organisation that puts protecting the public at the heart of everything it does. More details at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/organisation/home-office-reform/

3. Policy areas for which the Home Office is responsible are:

* Counter Terrorism and National Security;
* Crime reduction and crime prevention (including domestic violence, youth crime, sexual crime, crimes against children and the child sex offender review);
* Policing Policy;
* Reducing the harms caused by anti social behaviour, illegal drugs and alcohol;
* Respect;
* Borders and Immigration;
* Identity Management.

4. More details about the new Home Office can be found at:
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news/new-home-office