Autocrime

HC Deb 03 December 1987 vol 123 cc1094-5

9. Mr. Pawsey

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate the degree to which autocrime features in the overall crime statistics; and what steps his Department is taking to combat this problem.

Mr. John Patten

Thefts of and from vehicles represent some 25 per cent, of all recorded offences. Most car crime is either avoidable or preventable. We have made determined efforts to get that message across to motorists and manufacturers. Last week the Home Office standing conference on crime prevention decided to establish a widely representative working group on car crime which will review the subject and produce recommendations before this time next year.

Mr. Pawsey

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for that response. Does he recall that autocrime is now one of the fastest growing crimes in this country, if not the fastest? Is he further aware of the amount of police time currently spent investigating those crimes? Will he therefore contact again the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in an endeavour to persuade it to make cars and vehicles generally more secure than is currently the case? Will he also have discussions with the insurers to persuade them to give lower premiums to car owners who adequately protect their vehicles?

Mr. Patten

My hon. Friend is quite right. It seems to be a British disease not to lock cars when leaving them. About 20 per cent, of stolen cars seem to be left unlocked by motorists. That means that the police spend up to 1 million man hours a year investigating car-related crime, and that time could be spent investigating more serious crimes.

It is critically important that people take more responsibility for the prevention of car crime. To say that is not to give a nannying message. That is an authentically Conservative message. We want people to take responsibility over education, housing and crime. Yes, I will indeed continue my discussions with the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders and the Association of British Insurers.

Mr. Campbell-Savours

Now that Thames Valley police have admitted that they have one of the highest rates of reported crime per officer in the whole of the south of England, and now that the Minister himself has admitted that there has been a long period of neglect, is it not time that the Home Secretary responded positively to the demands for the 700 additional policemen needed to deal with crimes in the Thames Valley area? Is not Ministers' indifference to those demands disgraceful in the context of escalating crime in the Thames valley?

Mr. Patten

Clearly, the hon. Gentleman is not aware —he cannot have been listening carefully enough—that my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary was referring to the long and sustained period of neglect of the police by the last Labour Administration. Here are some of the guilty men on the Opposition Front Bench.

Mr. Dickens

Given the mobility of the criminal today, what new initiatives is the Home Office taking to ensure that women are free to walk without fear of abuse and rape—[Interruption.]

Mr. Speaker

Order.

Mr. Dickens

What will be done to ensure that women can walk freely—[Interruption.]—without—

Mr. Speaker

Order. The hon. Member must not persist when I rise. This question is about autocrime.