Crime Prevention (Hansard, 5 December 1985)

§ 20. Miss Boothroyd
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he has any plans for further measures for crime prevention.

§ Mr. Hurd
Measures recently announced include the introduction of local crime prevention projects in five areas and the further development of crime prevention activity funded through the community programme. The Home Office Standing Conference on Crime Prevention is considering how best to implement the various recommendations contained in the recently published reports of its three working groups on car security,310W residential burglary, and revised guidelines for crime prevention panels. On 20 November I announced that the Prime Minister is to chair a crime prevention seminar in January involving representatives from key industries and organisations, which will take stock of progress so far and consider future measures.

§ 34. Mr. Lofthouse
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much additional finance has been made available by central Government to implement the recommendations of his Department's circular No. 8/1984 on crime prevention.

§ Mr. Giles Shaw
As circular 8/1984 pointed out, much crime prevention activity does not so much require new money, but rather a re-allocation of existing resources. However, the Government provide considerable funds for crime prevention projects in a number of ways, for example, through the Department of the Environment's urban programme and the Department of Health and Social Security's intermediate treatment programme. As part of the expansion of the community programme a substantial number of places are now available for crime prevention projects. The Home Office is also meeting the salary cost (£175,000) of the co-ordinators supporting the five local crime prevention projects announced by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 3 October.

§ 43. Ms. Richardson
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he plans to make any recommendations to the Metropolitan police on crime prevention and police efficiency as a result of the report issued by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research entitled, "Spending on Law and Order", a copy of which has been sent to him.

§ Mr. Giles Shaw
We have read this report with interest. Its observations will be taken into account in developing policies for improving the efficient and effective use of police resources.

§ 61. Mr. Teddy Taylor
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his planned initiatives on the prevention of crime.

§ Mr. Giles Shaw
The existence of a strong and efficient police service, which the Government have done much to create, is essential to the development of good crime prevention practice. But commitment by the police alone is not sufficient and we are therefore working to extend the scope of crime prevention activity at local level and engage the support and co-operation of all sections of the community. To this end, my right hon. Friend has recently announced the local crime prevention initiative in five areas, which is designed to generate public confidence that crime and the fear of crime can be reduced by local preventive action. The inclusion of crime prevention as a central theme within the recently expanded community programme is another example of the Government's efforts to stimulate local preventive measures. We also devote considerable resources to crime prevention publicity, to training, to research and to dissemination of good practice.