§ Mr. Matthew Taylor (Truro and St. Austell)Mr. Deputy Speaker, like most people, regrettably—perhaps even you and the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael)—I know at first hand what it is like to be a victim of crime. Very recently, my car was stolen from the local railway station. The police were very good and tracked down my car quickly—and the insurers paid to repair it. For many other less lucky people, a stolen car can be irreplaceable and repairs unaffordable, and—in rural areas especially—a lost car may even mean a lost job.
My Cornish researcher, Charlotte Callen, who helped me to gather information for the debate, had her bag stolen last night. It certainly brought home the reality—a morning off work cancelling cards, talking to the police, and an even bigger overdraft, one hopes not added to by illegal use of the card.
I sought this debate because I am sure that such incidents would happen less often if there were more police. It is not just that there would be a greater chance that criminals would be caught. More important, the expectation that the police may be on patrol, or that they will have time to detect and apprehend a thief, means that many crimes would be prevented. I shall focus on that argument.
Like most places, Devon and Cornwall have experienced a significant increase in crime figures during the past 20 years. It is an out-of-date theory that rural areas are almost crime-free. In fact, the figures have doubled since the Conservatives came to power in 1979. The problem of crime is no longer largely confined to the cities. The police tell me that a significant trend is that of up-country criminals leaving the heavily policed city areas for a weekend car trip to Cornwall or Devon—not for the beach, but to pick off isolated rural homes—where they know that a police officer will never be just around the corner, and where they cannot be on the local list of likely suspects.
It is time that we listened to the recommendations of the people who know—the police. Officers from my constituency, and throughout Cornwall and Devon, work extremely hard and do a great job. When I get the chance to spend time with police officers, I ask them what they would most like changed: the prosecution rate, the length of sentences, child curfews perhaps? Time and again they give the same answer: more police officers, so that criminals can expect to be caught, which helps to prevent crime and stops criminals in their tracks if they start.
That is the answer I received when I spent an evening on patrol with the police in Truro. It is the answer that I received in the very different surroundings of the Plymouth control room. It is the answer that I hear time and again, every time I speak to our local police—whether a bobby on the beat or a chief inspector.
And no wonder. The vast majority of serious crimes—murders, rapes, serious assaults—are solved because, rightly, all the police needed are made available. Well over eight out of 10 serious offenders are caught, and almost all murderers and rapists are brought to justice, so it can be done—crime can almost always be cracked if the police have the resources to do so. 307 However, when it comes to the vastly greater number of robberies and thefts, detection falls to just a third, and for vehicle crimes the figure is less than a sixth. This is not about bad policing—our police do an excellent job in the circumstances—but about under-policing. With more officers, the general public could feel safe again. I am not suggesting that a burglary could or should be met with a response on the scale of a murder hunt, but I am saying that we could and should resource the police to do a lot more.
The regular presence of the police, even a special constable, not only deters crime but—perhaps equally important—helps people to feel more secure in their homes. For many elderly and frail people especially, fear of crime is perhaps the greatest threat. A feeling of security is hard to put a price on, but it is crucial to anyone's quality of life. I praise the Cornwall and Devon constabulary for the work they put in with specials to provide such reassurance and support for policing in local communities.
However, police resources are simply failing to keep pace with the change in rural areas. Locally, in 1997 we actually had 45 fewer police officers than in 1994. The funding of the police force nationally is £138 per resident on average. In contrast, the Cornwall and Devon constabulary can spend only £109 per head, which means that the Cornwall and Devon police force are facing crime with far less manpower than the average. No wonder our local police feel overstretched.
In addition, Devon and Cornwall experience an influx of tourists every year, which swells the population massively. The resident population of both counties combined is just over 1 million, and police funds are already overstretched, as I have explained. However, during a year, the Devon and Cornwall area witnesses an influx of 9 million tourists, which obviously places a huge strain on police resources. In peak summer, the population of Cornwall alone increases from approximately 500,000 to 750,000—in other words, it goes up by half. Sadly, not only traffic and accident problems increase for the police; between May and August, crime increases significantly.
Devon and Cornwall are also confronted with the problems of all rural areas. Call-out and response times are inevitably slightly longer, and regular patrols in scattered isolated hamlets are simply impractical. In addition, we are a coastal peninsula. In most of England, in an emergency, neighbouring police forces can be called in as back-up. That is only true for us on the eastern border—otherwise, we are surrounded by water. That adds real costs to the police, not least because they must be prepared to cover for themselves what others might reliably expect to have covered by others.
§ Mr. Andrew George (St. Ives)Like my hon. Friend, I have experienced a night patrol with the local police a few times. Once, a firearms incident occurred, to tackle which eight authorised firearms officers, in a firearms team, were needed. It occurred in west Cornwall, very close to Land's End, and officers throughout Cornwall were taken out to deal with that event. Obviously, it was impossible to call on officers from constabularies to the west, the nearest being in Newfoundland. I wonder 308 whether my hon. Friend would comment on the fact that, in the extreme west of the region, we have specific difficulties in meeting the problems of police provision.
§ Mr. TaylorMy hon. Friend makes the point more than adequately. In most parts of the country, support can relatively easily be called from the surrounding area. That cannot happen in Cornwall and Devon, and, by necessary implication, Cornwall and Devon police must make sufficient provision to take that into account, whereas other forces do not.
In theory, there is an allowance in the funding to cover at least rural sparsity, but the Library tells me that other consequences of the formula's impact on rural areas effectively offset that, to the extent that the net additional funding is zero. On tourism, although our daytime population can double in summer, the funding allowed is less than 4 per cent.
The combination of those issues—especially the peninsularity, which goes way beyond anything that the formula can allow for—causes me to conclude that Cornwall and Devon's police need fairer funding.
I remind the Minister of the key figures. Police resources are failing to keep pace with rising crime. In 1993, we had 45 more police officers in the local force than in 1997. In fact, according to the Library, between 1993-94 and 1996-7, real cuts in spending for the Devon and Cornwall constabulary were the third worst in the country—at a time when funding should have been increasing to cover the then Conservative Government's pledge to increase police numbers. I know that the Minister will join me in condemning that broken Conservative promise.
The funding of the police force nationally averages £138 per resident, but the Cornwall and Devon constabulary are allowed only £109 per head, as I said. The result is that, for each police officer in our region, there are 538 people. The national average is a fifth lower: just 414 people. I understand that an Audit Commission report on the police service is due for publication tomorrow, and it is likely to confirm those figures.
I do not expect us to be resourced at the level of the inner cities, nor do I expect everything to change overnight. Those problems have not been addressed for 18 years of Tory rule, but it need not cost a fortune. When Conservative central office costed the Liberal Democrat pledge to give chief constables the extra police they said they needed, it put the cost at £50 million a year. No hon. Member would expect Conservative central office to underestimate the cost of fulfilling a Liberal Democrat election pledge. That amounts to less then £1 per person per year across the country. I believe that the British public would be delighted to pay that for adequate policing and cutting crime.
This is not an attack on the new Government. They have made a start, albeit a small one. They seem to recognise that Devon and Cornwall have been underfunded, and the constabulary have received an above-average increase in funding—4.5 per cent., compared with 3.7 per cent. However, I think that the Minister would accept that that rise still does not bring us anywhere near the level of funding in the rest of the country, as the spending figures per head of population show.
309 We recently released an updated Liberal Democrat report on crime and policing in the south-west. In it we repeated our costed general election pledge to give, in the short term, 100 extra police officers to Cornwall and Devon. Over time, we want the number to move further towards the national average. The extra funding that Devon and Cornwall received this year has been a step in the right direction, and, after cuts under the Conservatives, it is a welcome step. Nevertheless, extra cash is still needed to provide more police. That is what Devon and Cornwall need.
Can the Minister, first, give us some assurance that this year's above-average funding for the region is a sign of things to come? Do the Government recognise that we had a raw deal from the previous Government on police funding, and that that must change? Will our police numbers now go up?
Pressure on police can be reduced in other ways. Closed circuit television cameras installed in town centres serve as a deterrent against crime.
§ Mr. Colin Breed (South-East Cornwall)It is a pity that no Conservative Members are present to take part in the debate. One of the good measures introduced by the Conservative Administration was a bidding system by local authorities, in conjunction with retailers and other local groups, to put CCTV cameras into town centres. That was a welcome approach. Does my hon. Friend agree that it should be restored, and possibly increased?
§ Mr. TaylorI agree with my hon. Friend about CCTV. The cameras installed in town centres have been shown to serve as a deterrent against crime. In Truro, for example, CCTV cameras helped to reduce crime by 40 per cent. after they were installed in 1995. I have discussed the matter with the police, as there is an obvious concern that crime may simply be displaced to the streets that do not have the cameras. The evidence is that that has not happened—certainly not to the extent that would explain the fall in crime. Traders in the surrounding streets in smaller towns now also want CCTV.
I have supported successful applications for CCTV funding for Truro and St. Austell in my constituency in the recent past, but there is concern about whether funding will continue. CCTV is expensive to install. The chambers of commerce in our part of the world are not wealthy, because the population are not wealthy—nor, under the strictures of local government funding, are the local authorities.
My second question to the Minister is whether funding will be made available for the further expansion of CCTV to build on the initial success. Will consideration be given to support for the on-going costs? Although those are not huge, they can become a burden on the police or on local authorities or both, as they find that more and more installations are paid for, but running costs and monitoring can prove more difficult.
I agree with my hon. Friend also about the extraordinary absence of Conservative Members from the Chamber in a debate on a region that has Conservative Members of Parliament and which they used to regard as their own. I understand that there is a Home Office Opposition spokesman, and it is a pity that Conservative Members are not here. They have a lot to answer for, although it is for the Minister to say what will be done.
310 The Minister may be aware that there are currently three police control rooms in Devon and Cornwall, but the police say that one will close, and Cornwall's—in Camborne—is at risk. As the Minister knows, Cornwall has a unique identity, and local knowledge can save vital time. Moreover, Camborne is one of the worst unemployment black spots in the country. For all those reasons, it is vital to retain a control room in Cornwall. My third request, therefore, is for the Minister to look into the matter and encourage a conclusion that retains a control room in the county, although I know that the decision does not rest with him, certainly at this stage.
The same points apply to the proposed closure of Camborne Crown court, incidentally. That would cause extra costs and difficulties for the hundreds of people who use it. If it closes, they will have to travel to Penzance. Although the report from the Court Service suggests that that is easy—a train ride costing a few pounds—that is difficult for people living in one of the poorest communities in the United Kingdom, where every penny counts and getting about is a struggle. Not all live near the railway station. Will the Minister look into that matter as well?
We have a massive 124 people more for every police officer than the national average. The crime rate has rapidly increased over most of the past 20 years. Closures of police operation centres are looming. The previous Government took inadequate action to help. Crime figures doubled during their term in office, and in recent years they cut police numbers. The people in Cornwall and Devon expect the new Government to show more commitment to providing an improved police service for both counties. I have acknowledged that a small start has been made.
At the election, I made a pledge to the people of Devon and Cornwall to monitor and argue for our police service and the funding it receives under the new Government. I intend to continue to do so. I hope that I will have good news to give them.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Alun Michael)I congratulate the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Mr. Taylor) on obtaining the debate, and on the way in which he has introduced it. The absence of Conservative Members from the Chamber shows their embarrassment on policing issues, but it allows us to have an intelligent debate. I shall try to respond sensibly to important points that the hon. Gentleman raised.
I am sorry to hear that the hon. Gentleman has been the victim of crime. The fact that that experience is so widespread is precisely why we are introducing a series of measures to cut crime in the Crime and Disorder Bill, which the House will have an opportunity to debate in the near future. That Bill contains significant measures that will make a considerable impact at local level.
The hon. Gentleman referred to the experience of car crime. I agree with him about its importance, especially in rural areas, where transport is essential. That is one reason why, in recent months, I have taken a particular interest in the matter. We have launched various initiatives, including the secure car parks schemes, which I commend to any area trying to attract visitors. We want to reach the critical mass, with enough safe car parks for people to go looking for them. That will bring about the virtuous circle, where other car parks will have to be made safe because the public will go looking for safe ones.
311 We have published a comparative document on the security of different makes of vehicle, which I commend to the hon. Gentleman. He might like to study it before he replaces his current vehicle.
The personal impact of theft, particularly when crimes of theft are associated with violence, such as mugging, is extremely damaging, not only in the immediate upset caused, but often because of the serious long-term effects of such events. We are trying through the Crime and Disorder Bill to put in place measures that will affect the prevalence of such experiences.
The Bill includes measures to nip things in the bud when youngsters start to offend; to speed up youth justice in particular; and to bring about effective sentencing. The police and local authorities are making an effort to cut crime together. It is a matter not just for the police but for everybody. I am delighted at the positive response that we are getting from the police and from local authorities in discussions about the implications and implementation of the Bill.
The hon. Gentleman referred to the recruitment of specials. I have put some personal commitment into that by visiting every region in England and Wales in the past two weeks with the recruitment exercise. One thing we have seen is the much more professional training of specials. Greater demands are being made of them, but those demands are being met. The way in which specials and regular police officers work together as a professional team in many parts of the country is a particular pleasure.
§ Mr. Paul Tyler (North Cornwall)Will the Minister address the equipping of specials? I am not surprised that no Conservative Members are present—Labour Members are here, and there are five Liberal Democrats—as the meanness with which the previous Government approached this problem was outrageous. In my constituency, a special was recruited but could not be equipped even with a radio.
I put a similar point to the Minister, again on the prevention theme, which I acknowledge that he and his colleagues are tackling vigorously. Closed circuit television is fine, but if there are difficulties over VAT, or, as my hon. Friend the Member for Truro and St. Austell (Mr. Taylor) said, difficulties with the maintenance and monitoring of CCTV, it is investment down the drain. I hope that the Minister will be able to reassure us on that.
I also ask the Minister to address the point about Victim Support if he has time.
§ Mr. MichaelThe hon. Gentleman needs to ask for an extra hour on the debate.
As far as specials are concerned, work has been going on. I met and listened to specials about the proposals in the working party report. I shall attend a conference in a few weeks' time that will include representatives of specials from every police force. I shall attend personally because it is so important. I hope that that will help to achieve the professional approach to specials that the hon. Gentleman suggests.
I shall deal with CCTV in a moment.
312 There are two approaches to victims of crime. The hon. Gentleman will be aware that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has announced an additional grant of £1 million to help Victim Support to continue to move forward. It is a high-priority issue for us. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and I continue to work closely with Victim Support in government, as we did in opposition. We want the care of victims and attention to their needs to be at the heart of the criminal justice system, not just through the work of Victim Support.
In particular, a task force across Government Departments has looked at the needs of vulnerable witnesses and victims to try to improve the situation in court. There are quite a variety of victims and witnesses, as the hon. Gentleman will appreciate—people with learning difficulties, women who have been through a traumatic experience, children who have been subject to abuse, elderly people who feel nervous about the courts. It is not an easy topic to deal with, but I hope that he will accept my assurance that we treat it seriously.
I appreciate that the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell and his colleagues have raised a number of important points. I rather suspect that, because of the additional questions, I shall not be able to cover all the points. I shall write to the hon. Gentleman afterwards to reinforce points, where necessary, and to answer the ones that I do not reach.
The hon. Gentleman raised important points about the finances of the police service. The formula is supposed to reflect need rather than the historic level of staffing. The historic level of staffing, which influences the formula, is distorting it. That element is down to 20 per cent. this year as a result of the decisions we took, which is one reason why the formula has benefited Devon and Cornwall. We intend to continue to taper that increasingly anomalous factor in the formula.
The formula includes an allowance for differences, particularly in relation to sparsity and visitor numbers to an area. The hon. Gentleman referred to those two factors.
We intend to commission research on sparsity. There has been much debate about it. There is some evidence to suggest that there is not a definable element of sparsity that causes additional problems to the police. Not surprisingly, large rural areas contend that it is there, that it affects them, and that it jolly well should be definable. We will get some independent research to try to lay that to rest. It is silly to argue about it year on year. We should try to reach an objective point where we can settle it, at least dependably, so that forces know where they stand.
The basic point that I am making is that areas differ, and the formula seeks to reflect that difference. The formula has been distorted in recent years, which is why it is taking time to taper. The previous Government put in odd sums of money here and there in what seems an arbitrary fashion, which has distorted the impact of what was intended to be a needs-based formula. All forces I have met—I have met many police authorities and police representatives in recent weeks—make detailed and compelling special cases, not all of which are about being a peninsula. There needs to be a dependable formula, one that is as fair as it can be, although I doubt that it will ever be possible to get one that is perfect.
On a specific point, I shall not prejudice next year's funding settlement, but I think that I have indicated, in the way in which we intend to treat matters and try to get 313 a wholly needs-based formula, that the approach is likely to be helpful to Devon and Cornwall. I shall not give a commitment on police numbers, for reasons that I shall come to in a moment if there is time.
On CCTV, we have announced a further round, but there are difficulties, as I explained to the House a few weeks ago. The previous Government made no provision beyond March 1999, and when we came to power we discovered that they had spent half of next year's money for us in advance. Finances are being squeezed by the various problems we found, so the amount that we are putting into CCTV is £1 million—a small sum rather than the larger figure that we would have liked.
We are asking for carefully targeted small bids to look at the ways in which CCTV might be used in fresh and innovative ways. One or two examples have been given, including one by the specials in the hon. Gentleman's police area, which have given rise to the thought that there may be ways in which CCTV would be productive.
CCTV also benefits the police, the local authority and the wider community, particularly businesses in shopping areas. A variety of places in the country that have not succeeded in getting Home Office money have gone ahead anyway. People should not wait for Home Office money before considering whether the benefits to them are substantial enough to proceed.
I had the opportunity of a discussion with the chief constable and some of his officers when I visited the police headquarters a few weeks ago. I assure the hon. Gentleman that we will do all we can to ensure that the police have adequate resources to play their part in cutting crime and in preventing it. We have been careful not to make rash promises about police manpower, because those promises, as the previous Government discovered, cannot always be delivered.
One of the many mistakes that the Conservatives made was to plan and project specific increases in police numbers, when, in the Police and Magistrates' Courts Act 314 1994, they handed powers to decide numbers to chief constables and the new police authorities, which have the freedom to decide whether to use their available resources on recruiting more police officers or on other expenditure, such as information technology and equipment.
With the efficiency of new technology, there are gains to be made in getting police officers out on the beat and not spending a lot of time travelling back to headquarters. It is not a straightforward issue; it has to be decided in relation to the geographical area that is being covered.
I shall not fall into the trap of promising more police officers—that is a matter for the chief constable and his police authority—but I promise that Devon and Cornwall will get their fair share of police resources.
As the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell acknowledged, Devon and Cornwall police authority benefited from an increase in spending power of 4 per cent., or £6. 1 million, this year. For next year, we are committed to remaining within the previous Government's overall spending commitments. Nevertheless, I can promise even more good news for policing in Devon and Cornwall. Under proposals announced by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 2 December, Devon and Cornwall will be able to increase its spending by 4.5 per cent. over this year. That is an extra £7.2 million, giving the police authority a total spending power figure of £167.5 million.
Once again, the proposed budget increase for Devon and Cornwall of 4.5 per cent. is significantly above the national average of 3.7 per cent. for police forces across England and Wales. That is a very healthy settlement, and the question for the force is how to make the best use of the finances available.
Police authorities were given the opportunity to comment or make representations to me on the proposed financial settlement for next year. We had no representations from Devon and Cornwall police authority, so it is reasonable to conclude that it is content that the proposed funding allocation gives it the capacity to police the area.