Car Crimes

HL Deb 25 February 1993 vol 543 cc339-40

3.27 p.m.

Lord Campbell of Croy asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the latest available figures indicate a reduction in the number of car crimes in Great Britain.

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, the latest published statistics for England and Wales show that the number of vehicle crimes which were recorded by the police rose by 7 per cent. in the 12 months to June 1992 compared with the previous 12 months. The final quarter of those statistics though showed a fall of 2 per cent. compared with the corresponding quarter of 1991.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that Answer, the last part of which was encouraging and the first part disappointing. Will he give a rough estimate of the proportion of those offences committed by persons under the age of 18? Have the Government noticed that cars bearing disabled signs seem to be preferred targets, no doubt because the culprits are less likely to be chased if disturbed? Is that not diabolical when, to enjoy an ordinary life, the owners of those cars are dependent upon wheels and not legs?

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, I cannot give my noble friend the answer he seeks. I can, however, tell him that Home Office studies indicate that between 5 per cent. and 7 per cent. of people now aged under 21 have been convicted of car theft. Of those guilty of theft, or unauthorised taking of a vehicle, nearly 45 per cent. were under the age of 18. I am bound to say that I am not aware that disabled cars are a special target. I rather fancied from my noble friend's question that he has had some personal experience of that. I can only tell him that all cars seem to be targets.

Lord Elton

My Lords, does my noble friend recognise that the most effective way of dealing with outbreaks of car crime, in particular joy riding, is to provide youth schemes on wheels and tracks? That has worked exceptionally well in those parts of the country where it has been tried but it is now largely dependent on the voluntary sector. Will my noble friend therefore encourage his colleagues in Government and those in the charitable sector to support charities such as that called DIVERT which I am founding for this and allied purposes?

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, I am aware of what DIVERT and other charities do: it is a considerable job of work in helping such people. Local probation services, the police and others are encouraged to find more constructive channels for offenders' energies through such motor projects. The Home Office is providing almost £600,000 to motor projects in this financial year alone.

Lord McIntosh of Haringey

My Lords, is not an outlay of £600,000 and a total, I understand, of 20 projects small in view of the undoubted effectiveness of the motor projects to which the noble Lord, Lord Elton, referred? Why is it that only that small amount of money and that small number of projects are being funded when it is clear that, for example, out of 4,500 young people who have been involved in the projects only 100 have offended again?

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, people react in different ways in different parts of the country. Local probation services have a responsibility, as do many charities. The £600,000 which the Home Office provides in a grant is not the sole amount of money which goes towards helping people. It is the amount of money which we give to charities which are involved in the project.

The Viscount of Oxfuird

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that one of the most important precepts in any battle, whether it be a battle against crime or anything else, is that there should be in place an intelligence base? Does he further agree that one of the issues which might be addressed is the gathering of intelligence with sufficient depth to enable an implicit target to be defined and action taken as a result of that information?

Earl Ferrers

My Lords, it is our intention to gather as much intelligence as we reasonably can and to make the best use of it.