§ 13. Mr. Patrick ThompsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the latest recorded crime figures. [25049]
§ Mr. HowardRecorded crime in England and Wales fell by 2.4 per cent. in 1995 and by 8 per cent. in the three years to the end of 1995. That is the largest ever continuous fall in the number of annually recorded crimes. Those figures are a testament to the achievements of the police and local communities in helping to prevent crime.
§ Mr. ThompsonIs my right hon. and learned Friend aware of the stupendously good news in Norfolk with regard to recorded crime? Is he aware that recorded crime and burglaries have fallen during the past year in Norfolk, and that car theft has fallen by 14 per cent. during the past year in Norfolk? Will my right hon. and learned Friend pay tribute to the police and the crime prevention panel in Norfolk for that really good work, and will he say that there will be more resources for more police and more special constables in Norfolk in the coming year?
§ Mr. HowardI am grateful to my hon. Friend for giving me the opportunity to pay tribute to the record of the police in Norfolk. Norfolk has had a 20 per cent. reduction in recorded crime during the past two years, with some 9,000 fewer victims—the biggest fall of any county. I join my hon. Friend in congratulating the Norfolk police on that achievement.