§ Dr. SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his proposed petty crime busting scheme; what assessment he has made of the impact of the scheme on Castle Point; and what proportion of the funding will go to Castle Point. [1850]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 3 July 2001]: I assume the hon. Member is referring to the Capital Modernisation Fund project to assist small retailers in deprived areas, which I announced on 27 June.
The problem of crime affecting small retailers, particularly in deprived areas, is one which was highlighted in the report of the Social Exclusion Unit's Policy Action Team 13, which considered access to decent shopping facilities. The Retail Crime Reduction Action Team has also been examining this issue in conjunction with organisations which represent small retailers, with a view to developing schemes which may be able to assist those businesses.
We are providing funding of £15 million over three years for a project to improve security of small retailers in the most deprived areas throughout England and Wales, with £3 million to be spent this financial year and £6 million for each of the years 2002–03 and 2003–04. We will be working with local communities to identify specific sites which can most benefit from the scheme. This may include shopping parades, individual shops or a combination of both. The money will be used to help small retailers to enhance security of their premises by installing additional locks or shutters, or may be used to make improvements to their immediate environments. We aim to maximise the value and effectiveness of these schemes by ensuring, wherever possible, that they complement other existing schemes designed to improve the quality of life of a neighbourhood.
The regional funding allocation and the specific sites which will benefit from the scheme will be announced in due course.