§ Mr. YeoTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost to local authorities of their enhanced role in tackling crime, as set out in the consultation paper "Getting to Grips with Crime". [17961]
§ Mr. MichaelWe do not expect these proposals to have any significant net cost to local authorities. They are not about requiring local authorities or the police to deliver a new service; rather, they will simply require them to put crime prevention and community safety issues at the heart of delivery of existing services, where they have always belonged. Furthermore, effective and well-targeted crime-prevention strategies should generate significant savings for local authorities and the police, through reduced crime levels.