§ 8. Mrs. Betty Williams (Conwy) (Lab)If he will make a statement on trends in vehicle crime in north Wales. [148358]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Mr. Don Touhig)Between April and December 2003, the number of vehicle crimes per 1,000 population fell by 5.3 per cent. compared with the same period in 2002. In numerical terms, there were 323 fewer vehicle crimes.
§ Mrs. WilliamsI thank my hon. Friend for that very encouraging answer. is he aware that figures released last weekend for vehicle crime in Bangor in my constituency show that it has gone down by 51.45 per cent? Does he agree that the main reason for this success is that we have seen an increase in police officers, in community beat managers—who work closely with residents' associations, such as Maesgeirchen and Taistesion—in wardens in housing estates and local councillors?
§ Mr. TouhigI recognise the point that my hon. Friend makes. I also recognise the contribution that the Government have made to increasing investment in the police service and increasing police numbers. Since the Government came to power there has been a 17 per cent. increase in the number of police officers on duty in the north Wales police area. I think we are moving in the right direction; I am sure that my hon. Friend agrees with that.