Crime Prevention (Hansard, 19 November 1992)

§ 12. Mr. Ian Taylor
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what crime prevention programmes are currently funded by his Department.

§ Mr. Jack
The specific crime prevention programmes that we currently fund, in addition to those operated by the police, are safer cities, crime concern, the Home Office crime prevention centre, publicity programmes, Car Crime Prevention Year, the probation supervision grant scheme, and research and development programmes.

§ Mr. Taylor
Will my hon. Friend confirm that the first quarter of Car Crime Prevention Year showed a 2.5 per cent. fall in car crime? Will he ensure that such schemes continue? But will he also point out, much as we should like the people who carry out such crimes to be locked away, most people invite car crimes by not taking proper security measures and sometimes by not even locking their cars?

§ Mr. Jack
I confirm the statistics that my hon. Friend has put before the House. It is a tremendous result that in the first quarter of Car Crime Prevention Year there has been a 2.5 per cent. reduction in car crime. The fact that we have managed to achieve such a splendid result is a great tribute to the partnership approach of motor manufacturers, people in the second-hand car business, car park operators, and owners.

§ Mr. Maclennan
Will the Minister acknowledge that the Government do not spend one hundredth as much on crime prevention as his Department has to spend on the criminal justice system, and that a better balance would be struck if there were more expenditure on crime prevention?

§ Mr. Jack
As usual, Opposition Members find it difficult to distinguish between quantity and quality. I should have thought that the hon. Gentleman would examine the quality of what we are doing and the range of programmes that we fund, and would acknowledge that involving the people in the communities of this country in the fight against crime is the most effective way forward.