§ 3. Dr. Stephen Ladyman (South Thanet)If he will make a statement on the most recent crime figures for Kent. [103963]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Charles Clarke)The latest figures, covering the 12 months to September 1999, will be published tomorrow. I hope that they will show continued strong performance in reducing crime in Kent.
§ Dr. LadymanI am grateful for that answer, and especially for the Government's recognition of Kent's status as the gateway to Europe, which places an additional burden of crime on the local police. However, is my hon. Friend aware that some senior policemen in Kent believe that the criminal networks set up to bootleg alcohol and tobacco are now involved in smuggling illegal immigrants, pornography and drugs into the country? One senior officer has likened that trade to the evolution of organised crime in the United States in the early days of prohibition.
Will my hon. Friend ensure that he continues to monitor crime figures in Kent? Will he also ensure that Kent police have the money needed to combat this very worrying threat?
§ Mr. ClarkeI am aware of the issues raised by my hon. Friend, and I have discussed them with senior police officers in Kent. In fact, the other day I discussed those very matters—organised crime, smuggling and trafficking in people—with the Minister of State, Home Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche). We also discussed how those crimes impacted on the people of Kent.
My hon. Friend makes a good point. I assure him that we will keep the question of organised crime in Kent— the gateway to Europe—under close review.
§ Mr. Michael Howard (Folkestone and Hythe)I share the Minister's hope that tomorrow's figures will show a further reduction in crime in Kent. Since 1994, crime in the county has reduced by 16 per cent. However, has the Minister had an opportunity to study last week's letter to the Home Secretary from the chairman of the Kent police authority? In it, she points out that the Home Secretary's decision on the funding of the radio project referred to in the previous question means that Kent police will face additional revenue costs of £3 million a year, and additional capital costs of more than £4 million a year. She says that that will have a damaging effect on future budgets for the Kent police, and on police manpower numbers.
What impact does the Minister expect the additional financial pressures on the Kent police exerted by the crimes described by the hon. Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman) to have on the future course of crime in the county, and on the police's ability to combat it?
§ Mr. ClarkeI have indeed seen the letter to which the right hon. and learned Gentleman refers. Given his experience, he will know that I have received similar letters from chairs of police authorities throughout the country and have discussed with delegations the 543 requirement for all police authorities at all times to secure future funding for their forces. I assure the right hon. and learned Gentleman that we shall continue to keep these matters under close review. The basis of that review will be the outcomes of the policing that is taking place in every force throughout the country—how well their policing has impacted on recorded levels of crimes. In that context, I am confident that Kent will continue to show an improvement, because of its outstanding police force and the outstanding leadership that that police force has.