§ Lord Harrison asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ What action they are taking to reduce the harassment of 900,000 men and women each year by stalkers, as detailed in the Home Office report The Nature and Extent of Stalking.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Bassam of Brighton)My Lords, the law provides protection from stalking in the form of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. Recent Home Office research indicates that the Act is being used effectively to combat incidents of stalking. Criminal prosecution is not, however, the only response; for example, the police may give a warning to nip such behaviour in the bud. The research pointed out ways in which the use of the Protection from Harassment Act could be improved. We are currently working on the recommendations contained in the report.
§ Lord HarrisonMy Lords, I thank my noble friend for that Answer. First, does he agree that the figure of 900,000 instances of stalking may be an underestimate due to under-reporting? In the light of that, will he consider giving legal status to the offence of stalking? Secondly, will he ensure that victims of stalking are referred to a victim support scheme?
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonMy Lords, we think that the figure of 900,000 possible victims is likely to be an accurate estimate. It is based on the British Crime Survey, which is updated approximately every two years and provides us with robust data. It recently revealed that, under Labour, crime is coming down.
As to the noble Lord's final points, the definition that relates to stalking enables us to capture all forms of harassment offences. For that reason, the Act is very effective. It is a good idea to pursue the noble Lord's suggestion of ensuring that victims of stalking, harassment and other anti-social behaviour are referred to victim support schemes.