HC Deb 11 May 1998 vol 312 cc9-10
10. Mr. John Bercow (Buckingham)

If he will make a statement on the use of CCTV in combating crime. [40272]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Mike O'Brien)

This Government are encouraging the use of CCTV as part of a comprehensive approach to tackling crime and disorder. As well as the proven value in town and city centres, we are encouraging innovative and flexible use of CCTV so that we can learn the lessons of what works.

Mr. Bercow

I thank the Minister for that reply. Will he confirm that, whereas the former Government provided £15 million a year for the use of closed circuit television cameras to fight crime in 1994–95, 1996–97 and 1997–98, the Labour Administration have slashed the sum available to a mere £9 million, of which only approximately £1 million, as Library figures demonstrate, is available for new schemes? Is that not a scandalous breach of the Minister's party's commitment to fight crime, and further proof that this Administration are a purely penny-pinching Government?

Mr. O'Brien

The hon. Gentleman should be aware that the Conservative Government left no provision at all for CCTV next year. It is right that we have a budget of £9 million this year to support CCTV. The previous Government made commitments that exceeded the budgets available, so the bulk of this year's money will go towards honouring those commitments. One million pounds will go to new schemes. Substantial coverage of town centres, often by Labour councils, has been achieved; we are now seeking wider coverage than the previous Government envisaged, as part of our overall anti-disorder package.

I note that the hon. Gentleman thinks this subject important. There are five bids for Home Office funding under the fourth round of challenge funding for the Buckinghamshire area. Why has not the hon. Gentleman written in support of any of them?

Mr. Bill O'Brien (Normanton)

Will my hon. Friend take it from me that the support given by the previous Government to CCTV in my constituency was nil? We appreciate the support that we have received for Wakefield CCTV from the current Government. Will the Minister take note of the urgent need for more resources to be channelled into CCTV in small towns, and around schools and other public buildings? Will he in future give priority to small urban areas?

Mr. Mike O'Brien

My hon. Friend is right. My home town of Bedworth also found that the Conservative Government failed to provide for CCTV in its area when it put in a bid to that Government; but the Labour council there and local traders got together and funded it themselves. A large number of town centres have already been covered. Indeed, Buckingham, in the constituency of the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow), opened a scheme in the town centre after the general election last year. Now, as my hon. Friend suggests, we want to concentrate on integrating CCTV with other crime reduction measures, to make a success of the policy.