HC Deb 25 April 1996 vol 276 cc571-2
3. Mr. Austin Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many robberies were recorded by the police (a) in England and Wales and (b) in Humberside in (i) 1995 and (ii) 1979. [25038]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. David Maclean)

The figures for England and Wales are 68, 407 and 12, 482. The corresponding figures for Humberside were 680 and 103.

Mr. Mitchell

As the Minister does not care to give us the percentage increases, my quick mental arithmetic gives them as 448 per cent. in England and Wales and 560 per cent. in Humberside. Given that robbery is the crime that most exacerbates the atmosphere of fear of crime, is not that amazing increase, which is continuing, a total condemnation of the Government's policy?

Mr. Maclean

Not at all, but it is typical of the hon. Gentleman to focus on robbery in Humberside, which has unfortunately been increasing. It is the duty of Humberside police to deal with robbery on their patch. I would have had more respect for the hon. Gentleman if he had mentioned that, in the past two years, crime has fallen on Humberside by 12,000 offences, or that there are 4,000 fewer car crimes and 9,000 fewer burglaries. How did the people who get involved in robbery on Humberside start? Perhaps they started as shop thieves. They may have been encouraged by the fact that the Leader of the Opposition seems to think that stealing from shops is okay and merely putting a "treat in your pocket".

Sir Ivan Lawrence

Is not robbery a crime of violence against the person? Have not crimes of violence against the person fallen nationwide over the past year, for the first time in 49 years?

Mr. Maclean

That is true; crimes of violence have fallen considerably in England and Wales for the first time in 49 years. Of course, the Labour party wants to pretend that crime was not invented until 1979, so I thought that I would look at the figures for 1975, 1976, 1978 and 1979. In those years in Humberside, violence increased by 23 per cent., violence against the person by 34 per cent., burglary by 6 per cent. and vehicle crime by 25 per cent.

Mr. Tony Banks

What about crime now?

Mr. Maclean

Crime rose under Labour Governments and, yes, it rose for some years under the Conservative Government, but it has been falling for the past three years—and Labour Members do not want to talk about that.