§ Sir Ivan LawrenceTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures have been introduced since 1992 to reduce crime; and what assessment he has made of their effectiveness. [13513]
§ Mr. MacleanSince 1992, we have continued to develop and implement measures designed to make life more difficult for criminals and easier for law abiding citizens. This has involved major new legislation; substantial changes in the criminal justice system, including the creation of new offences and the revision of penalties so as to ensure that the courts have the powers they need to deal with criminal behaviour; new money for the police and for closed circuit television; the development of new ideas on crime prevention; and the targeting of persistent offenders.
We are determined to fight crime effectively and, with full backing for the police, the support of the community, proper emphasis on crime prevention and severe punishment for serious persistent and dangerous offenders, we have demonstrated that progress can be made. Through partnership initiatives to combat crime and the steadfast work of the police, we have seen recorded crime fall by 10 per cent.—a reduction of over half a million offences—for the last three years for which figures are available.