HC Deb 25 April 1991 vol 189 cc1193-4
2. Mr. Bellingham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individual estate security schemes have received Home Office grants in the last two years.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Peter Lloyd)

Home Office grants have been given for 135 separate crime prevention schemes to increase security on housing estates during the past two years. All those grants were made under the safer cities programme for the 16 towns and cities in which crime prevention projects have been established.

Mr. Bellingham

Is the Minister aware that the North Lynn industrial estate security scheme in my constituency, which was one of the first in the country, has had the effect of almost completely eradicating break-ins and crime? Is he also aware that the local borough council of Kings Lynn in west Norfolk, is setting up a town centre security scheme to cover car parks and housing estates which local industrial estates will also be able to join? Will my hon. Friend congratulate that excellent Conservative-controlled council?

Mr. Lloyd

North Lynn is an impressive example of what can be done. It is not part of the Home Office safer cities programme. As my hon. Friend implied, it is entirely the idea of the local authority, local business men and the local police. It is a good idea which has been well carried through and I hope that it will be copied by other local authorities.

Mr. Vaz

Does the Minister agree that the amount of grant should be based on the level of crime in a particular area? He will know that Leicestershire has the highest crime rate in the country. Therefore, does he consider it necessary to increase the amount of money payable under the schemes—[Interruption.] Perhaps the Home Secretary will allow me to ask my question without talking across me.

Would not it also be appropriate to increase the number of police officers in areas such as Leicestershire to administer the new schemes that have been implemented? Will the hon. Gentleman look again at the figures requested by Leicestershire county council and award the county more officers, because that is the best and most effective way of tackling crime?

Mr. Lloyd

As I am sure the hon. Gentleman knows, the safer cities scheme is directed to areas, particularly inner city areas, where rates of crime are particularly high. As the hon. Gentleman well knows, my right hon. Friend takes his decision on the number of police officers required for Leicestershire on the need as assessed and the priorities stated by the inspector of police. The figures for this year have already been decided, but I am sure that if next year there are good reasons for increasing the number of police, my right hon. Friend will be anxious to do so.

Mr. Anthony Coombs

Will my hon. Friend confirm the importance of the secure by design schemes entered into by a number of police forces with house builders as a means of preventing crime? Is not it important that secure by design is dovetailed into the initiatives of the National House-Building Council so that most house builders can offer such improvements to potential purchasers?

Mr. Lloyd

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. If we can build out to some extent—sometimes even to a greater extent—the possibilities of crime in the way that an estate is designed, it will be valuable. That is something which the Department of the Environment bears very much in mind in its estate action improvements. It includes exactly the sort of thing that my hon. Friend is thinking of—lighting, secure doors and improvements in the design of footpaths and in layout—so that crime is discouraged and much more difficult to perpetrate.