HC Deb 12 July 1973 vol 859 cc1753-5
3. Mr. Adley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of his Department's review on shoplifting.

The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Mark Carlisle)

The Home Office Standing Committee on Crime Prevention recently received the report of the Working Party on Internal Shop Security. The main report, and a short version intended primarily for the small shopkeepers, will be made available as quickly as possible.

Mr. Adley

I am most grateful to my hon. and learned Friend for his continuing interest and help with this subject. Does he accept that the large super- tainly cannot accept my hon. Friend's interpretation of the intention, let alone the effect of their work.

Mr. Molloy

Does not the Home Secretary agree that this endeavour is one of the most civilised upon which any civilised nation could embark, to ease tension among all sorts of people in various communities? Does he not further agree that if there is anything that can damage race relations it is the sort of question that he had to answer a moment ago?

Mr. Carr

There are many sorts of questions that can damage race relations. One important thing, which I hope all of us will always keep in mind when we draw attention, for example, to some of the difficulties suffered by minority groups, is the overall success of race relations in this country and the overall very high level of tolerance that the British people sustain.

Following is the information:

markets are the main cause of the problem, and that there has been an unfortunate and simultaneous increase in the number of grocery supermarkets and in shoplifting? Does he agree that one of the worst byproducts of the present system seems to be that people who have never previously been dishonest are finding themselves up on criminal charges and being convicted of having committed crimes?

Mr. Carlisle

I have always accepted that the modern methods of shopping and the ways in which goods are displayed inevitably lead to greater temptation, but I do not think that is any reason why any of us should condone dishonesty as such.

Mr. Greville Janner

Is the Minister of State aware that none of us would defend the dishonest? What worries so many of us is that the honest are likely to be charged and prosecuted, and that many of those prosecutions fail, by which time those concerned are ill? When will he take this type of prosecution out of the hands of the private shopkeeper and put it into the hands of the police, where it belongs?

Mr. Carlisle

The hon. and learned Gentleman knows full well that under the general law either the police or a private individual can prosecute. I see no basis on which to withdraw that right from the private individual in one sector while leaving it to private individuals in all other sectors.