§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the money allocated to his Department in the Budget will be used to tackle retail crime. [54569]
§ Mr. DenhamThe additional funding will be used to tackle street crime, as well as for counter terrorism measures, prisons provision and juvenile offenders, related issues. Many of these measures are likely to have a beneficial impact on reducing retail crime.
846W
§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures his Department is taking to tackle retail crime. [54562]
§ Mr. DenhamMy right hon. Friend the Home Secretary announced on 27 June last year the provision of £15 million over three years from the Capital Modernisation Fund to assist small retailers in deprived areas to improve the security of their businesses. £3 million was available in the 2001–02 financial year, with a further £6 million in both 2002–03 and 2003–04.
This money, which is being spent on schemes identified by Regional Crime Reduction Directors, in conjunction with Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, is being used to help small retailers to improve security. This is being achieved by employing a variety of interventions, including enhancing the security of individual premises and improving the environment of shopping centres. Nearly 3,000 shops in 114 retail schemes in some of the most deprived areas in England and Wales benefited from first year funds. More shops will be assisted in the next two years.
The Home Office has also supported work undertaken to establish retail crime partnerships by funding a consultant post for the past two years. The consultant has worked closely with the British Retail Consortium to produce a definitive guide on how to establish and run a retail crime partnership and encouraged retailers and other stakeholders in main shopping centre areas to establish partnerships to tackle retail and related crime.
Funding totalling £223,000 was also given to aid retail crime reduction initiatives under various programmes administered by regional crime reduction directors in the financial year ending 31 March 2002 and a further £86,500 is expected to be disbursed through regional crime reduction directors specifically for retail crime reduction initiatives in the current financial year.
Other funding under the Crime Reduction Programme, such as the £170 million for schemes for the installation of closed circuit television, particularly in town centres, will help to reduce shop theft as well as other types of crime. Other initiatives such as the street wardens schemes will also be of benefit to retailers in the areas where they operate.
The Home Office also makes advice available to retailers and crime reduction practitioners on the crime reduction website, including best practice guidance in the "Toolkit" on Business and Retail Crime give website address. Booklets which give crime reduction guidance to retailers have also recently been updated and give advice in a user-friendly postcard format leaflet entitled "Don't Discount Crime".
§ Bob SpinkTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to offer funding to local retail crime prevention initiatives in town shopping centres and secondary shopping areas. [54726]
§ Mr. DenhamI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Mr. Lepper) on 14 May 2002,Official Report, column 605W.