Neighbourhood Watch (Hansard, 27 May 2004)

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, neighbourhood watch is a local partnership between communities, the police and local authorities. Government support includes publications, training materials and funding for annual conferences in 2002 and 2003. The National Neighbourhood Watch Association is an independent organisation, funded by commercial sponsorship since its inception. Nevertheless, in 2002–03 the Government gave a total of £350,000 to support it through financial difficulties. Following a recent audit the Home Secretary declined to contribute further public funds.

§ Baroness Harris of Richmond
My Lords. I thank the Minister for his reply. Will he recognise that if the National Neighbourhood Watch Association is forced through lack of funding to close down in a few weeks' time, as seems likely, new neighbourhood watch schemes throughout the country will also close down as they do not wish to be merged with crime and disorder partnerships, preferring to maintain their independence from government diktat and interference?

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, it would be very sad if the National Neighbourhood Watch Association were to suffer a demise. But it needs to be understood that the NNWA has been in existence only since 1995. Neighbourhood watch schemes have been with us since the early 1980s. Our concern is to ensure that there are local, effective neighbourhood watch schemes on the ground. There are some 155,000 of those. We want to ensure that neighbourhood watch flourishes in the communities where its strength lies. If the national association unfortunately has to fold, of course, we will put measures in place to ensure that there is a national support network.

§ The Earl of Dundee
My Lords, will the Government remove the current restriction that prevents a deal between the National Neighbourhood Watch Association and Lloyds TSB insurance?

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, I am not aware that we had placed any restrictions in the way of such a deal being brokered and I wish the National Neighbourhood Watch Association every good fortune in securing an arrangement with Lloyds TSB.

§ Lord Williamson of Horton
My Lords, as one of the 155,000 co-ordinators for neighbourhood watch in a tiny part of Somerset—it is hard work being one of them—may I ask the Minister whether he agrees that, in addition to the role of the neighbourhood watch in detecting crime, it has two very important advantages? First, it gives householders much more confidence and secondly, it increases community spirit in the areas in which it prevails.

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, I completely agree with the noble Lord on both counts. I think it is fantastically good at building up community capacity. It encourages people to participate and to get involved in 1435 taking action against anti-social crimes in particular, which I know the noble Lord is concerned about as, I am sure, are all Members of your Lordships' House.

§ Baroness Anelay of St Johns
My Lords, while I, of course, agree entirely with the Minister's emphasis on the importance of local accountability and local action for neighbourhood watch schemes, does he agree that it would cause great damage to the local schemes if the national organisation were to fold as it provides quality assistance and advice across the country to ensure that all neighbourhood watch schemes can strive to be the best?

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, it would be unfortunate in the extreme if there were not some national assistance towards local neighbourhood watch schemes. I believe I made the point at the outset that it is the focus on local that is most important. It is unfortunate that the organisation has fallen on poorer times and it is regrettable that its earlier arrangement with Norwich Union has fallen away. However, we have undertaken an audit that has cast doubt on the National Neighbourhood Watch Association's financial management and viability. I would probably face a rather different Question across the Dispatch Box if we were to set on one side the findings of that audit. We must be very careful in such matters.

§ Baroness Thomas of Walliswood
My Lords, first, can the Minister tell us whether the National Neighbourhood Watch Association was involved in that audit—whether it was consulted and so on? Normally, audits are carried out with participation by both sides, the auditor and the audited organisation working together. Secondly, is the Minister aware that many people feel that the sort of people who run local neighbourhood watches are precisely the kind of people who do not want to be involved in local government and all the paraphernalia of officialdom? They run local neighbourhood watches because they want to do something that is local and independent.

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, thinking back to my time as a local authority leader, I was very keen to see local neighbourhood watch schemes flourish. However, I learnt to adopt a hands-off approach and to give every encouragement to the local beat, community officers and local ward councillors to try to get those schemes going. Many such schemes flourished as a result. As regards the audit, I am not aware of its infinite detail, but given the information I have, the National Neighbourhood Watch Association must have been happy to have our involvement in that audit, not least since the Government provided it with tidying-over funding of some £350,000 in the previous financial year.

§ Earl Peel
My Lords, do local neighbourhood watch schemes have the complete support of local police authorities?

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, I should hope that they have because local police authorities, the 1436 local police service and local community organisations make the neighbourhood watch schemes work as effectively as they do. That important partnership, particularly focusing on crime reduction, is the key to the success of neighbourhood watch.

§ Lord Skelmersdale
My Lords, following on that question, has any calculation been done on whether local neighbourhood watch schemes are a cost saving or a cost expenditure to local police forces?

§ Lord Bassam of Brighton
My Lords, it is hard to put precise figures on the local cost of neighbourhood watch schemes because, by their very voluntary nature, they are reliant on volunteer labour. Obviously, that means that local police officers, probably beat officers in the main, give up a part of their time to participate in the schemes. Some of that will be voluntary and some may be a routine part of their duties. Local police authorities obviously have to budget for the support that they give to the community.