Vandalism (Hansard, 23 May 1995)

§ 5. Mr. Janner
To ask the Secretary of State for Education if she will make a statement on the level of vandalism in schools. [23813]

§ The Minister of State, Department for Education (Mr. Eric Forth)
The Department for Education survey of security in schools shows that vandalism accounts for 80 per cent. of the incidents of school crime.

§ Mr. Janner
Does the Minister know that there is a serious plague of vandalism in the city of Leicester, with no fewer than 796 incidents in my constituency alone in the past financial year? Is he aware of my very useful and constructive conversation with the Secretary of State and her promise to come to Leicester to see the results of that vandalism and talk to the people on the ground? Will she be kind enough to let us know when we are likely to have the pleasure of welcoming her and whether the Department has done anything about helping schools to cope with vandalism since our conversation?

§ Mr. Forth
My right hon. Friend hopes to visit very soon. When she does, I hope that she will learn from the schools affected and from the local education authority about the measures that they are taking within their remit to ensure that this serious problem is tackled. There are many possibilities open to schools and local authorities. For example, GEST funding and supplementary credit approvals may be given, single regeneration budget 696 money may be made available and closed circuit television is proving to be very successful in reducing vandalism to zero where it was previously often pernicious. I hope that local people will describe to my right hon. Friend what they are doing to tackle this difficult problem.

§ Mr. Jacques Arnold
Does my hon. Friend consider it a quite extraordinary act of vandalism that the school budgets in Kent should have been shortchanged by £3.8 million by the Liberal county council—[Interruption.]

§ Madam Speaker
Order. The hon. Gentleman must relate his question to that on the Order Paper, which is not concerned with finance. The hon. Gentleman had the chance to raise that earlier.

§ Mr. Arnold
Is not it a remarkable bit of vandalism that, although there is a surplus of £17 million, our schools are shortchanged?

§ Madam Speaker
Order. The hon. Gentleman has abused the procedure. I hope that the Minister will answer according to the original question and not as widened by the hon. Gentleman.

§ Mr. Forth
That echoes the remarks made by my hon. Friend the Member for Stamford and Spalding (Mr. Davies), who referred to the latest act of socialist vandalism by his LEA. It seems to be an increasing but regrettable feature of some local education authorities.

§ Mr. Barry Jones
rose—

§ Madam Speaker
Perhaps the hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones) can make a better stab at it.

§ Mr. Jones
Is not there a link between rampant vandalism and 16 years of Conservative Government?

§ Madam Speaker
Order. I think that that is known as a quid pro quo, and the Minister is not answering.