HC Deb 25 November 1993 vol 233 cc567-8
5. Mr. Burden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the expenditure of his Department on crime prevention measures in the west midlands in 1992–93.

Mr. Charles Wardle

During the year, three safer cities projects in the west midlands received nearly £1.1 million. The region has also benefited from the £284 million spent on the West Midlands police and, in some part, from the £200 million spent by Government Departments on crime prevention related measures across the country.

Mr. Burden

Will the Minister reflect on the case of one of my constituents, a pensioner who was mugged in her own home? That crime went undetected and unreported for two days, because she was afraid to go out and no one was around. She was finally discovered by the home help. Does not that indicate the need for a proper partnership between the local authorities, the police, the public and the agencies involved? When will the Government do something about it? Does the Minister think that cutting the safer cities programme will contribute to that partnership?

Mr. Wardle

The safer cities programme has not been cut. As the hon. Gentleman well knows, in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton, there have been 20 local projects, delivering more than 3,000 crime prevention schemes. The hon. Gentleman is right to stress the need for partnerships, and I hope that he will support the Government's legislation when it is introduced later in the Session.

Nationally, in the west midlands, Solihull and Birmingham we have the activities of crime concern schemes, and city challenge in Birmingham, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. We have some 23 safer car parks schemes receiving awards in the west midlands. As to the safer cities project, it was ever the plan that, after an initial period, it would move to other localities. The local partnerships to which the hon. Member has alluded can then carry on with crime prevention schemes, and people such as his constituent will feel safer, because everybody will then be involved in crime prevention.

Sir Ivan Lawrence

Is it not becoming daily more obvious that one of the major reasons for the increase in crime in our society, particularly by juvenile offenders, is the constant diet of violence and depravity with which they are fed by television and video and computer pornography? Is not one of the strongest actions that the Government can take to prevent crime to ban this constant diet of trash that is causing so much harm, particularly among the young?

Mr. Wardle

My hon. and learned Friend will appreciate that we have the toughest laws in the world on video recordings, and it is a subject which will continue to be kept under review. He will be aware that the British Board of Film Classification is even now reviewing the matter to which my hon. and learned Friend refers.

Mr. Grocott

Many months ago, the West Mercia police authority took a decision to release 10 senior officer posts in order to request authority from the Minister's Department to appoint 26 constables for the same money. When the Minister looks at the level of policing in that police authority, will he urgently consider that request, because, many months later, it is still awaiting a decision from his Department? The money should be available for a further 26 constables, but only 10 have been allocated. If the Government are serious about cutting red tape, they could start by cutting it in the Home Office.

Mr. Wardle

The hon. Gentleman makes the most powerful endorsement of the Government's proposals which will be considered by the House. The whole purpose of the White Paper proposals is to get away from the idea of police chief officers having to bid for extra resources in terms of uniformed posts. Following the legislation, they will be free to make their own decisions about what ranks to appoint, how many police officers to have and how much of their resources to deploy on computers and other equipment.