§ 3. Mr. Brian H. Donohoe (Cunninghame, South)If he will make a statement on the Government's policy on CCTV as a method of crime prevention. [84128]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr. Calum Macdonald)The Government are firmly committed to strong policies on law and order. That is why we support CCTV as a method of crime prevention, as is demonstrated by our commitment to the Scottish Office CCTV challenge competition, which has awarded £6.8 million to more than 100 projects in Scotland since 1996. From 1 July, that will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
§ Mr. DonohoeI thank my hon. Friend for that answer. He will know of my interest in the subject, because Irvine and Kilwinning in my constituency are without CCTV. I wrote to my hon. Friend the Member for Central Fife (Mr. McLeish), who was then the relevant Minister, and received a reply at the end of last month suggesting that there would be a new competition for an additional £13 million. When will that begin?
§ Mr. MacdonaldI know that my hon. Friend has been lobbying on the issue for some time. He lobbied successfully for funding for Ardrossan, Saltcoats and Stevenson. The next round of funding will be in July or August, and will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
§ Mr. Peter Viggers (Gosport)Do the Government think that there is a connection between the reduction in the number of police officers in Scotland in the past year and the 13 per cent. growth in crime?
§ Mr. MacdonaldI know that CCTV has resulted in a 20 per cent. reduction in crime figures in some areas. It is not a substitute for good, modern policing, but the two must go hand in hand.