§ 21. Mr. Dormandasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research is being conducted by his Department into the most effective ways of combating vandalism; and what steps he is taking to disseminate the information to all police forces.
§ Mr. CarlisleThe Home Office is considering plans for research projects to assess the nature and extent of vandalism, particularly in urban areas. The second part of the Question does not yet arise, but the police are well aware that their own presence is usually the best defence against lawless behaviour.
§ Mr. DormandI am glad to hear the first part of the Minister of State's reply, but is he aware that there is greater public concern about vandalism than ever before? I doubt whether there is one hon. Member who does not receive regular complaints about it. The public feels that nothing is being done about it. Does the hon. and learned Gentleman agree that some of the generally accepted theories about the causes of vandalism do not fit the facts? Therefore, will he give priority to instituting the kind of research to which he has referred today?
§ Mr. CarlisleI am fully aware of the understandable public concern about the amount of vandalism. The Home Office Standing Committee on Crime Prevention recently set up a sub-committee to establish, as far as possible, the extent of vandalism and to make recommendations for practical measures which can be taken to prevent it.
§ Mr. John HallIs my hon. and learned Friend aware that probably the best way of discouraging vandalism and other anti-social behaviour is to increase the number of policemen on the beat, especially in the villages where the village constable seems to be becoming a thing of the past?
§ Mr. CarlisleI agree entirely that the best form of deterrent and prevention of all forms of crime is an adequate police force, and I am glad to say that recruitment to the police force has been going extremely well recently. However, the method deployed for policing any area must be left to the chief constable concerned.
§ Mr. KaufmanI very much support what the hon. Member for Wycombe (Mr. John Hall) said about the need for increasing police patrols. Is the hon. and learned Gentleman aware that when I was in my constituency over the weekend I was utterly appalled by the number of representations which I had about vandalism, particularly in slum clearance areas where vandals do such things as stealing lead from roofs and making the remaining homes uninhabitable? Will the hon. and learned Gentleman do everything possible to help the Manchester City police, who are excellent in this respect, to increase their patrols and thus to help these people?
§ Mr. CarlisleI am fully aware of the need for a strong police force and that is why I am delighted that the net increase in the size of the police force last year was 3,000, and 1,850 in the first five months of this year.