§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will provide resources to enable full coverage of operational CCTV on all public transpo#t vehicles; and what research his Department has commissioned on the effects upon the number of charges and convictions for criminal activity on public transport if full operational CCTV coverage were to be installed in all public transport vehicles. [186976]
§ Mr. McNultyIt is up to individual transport operators to fund CCTV systems on their vehicles and a growing number recognise the importance of doing so. For example, although the Strategic Rail Authority has not stipulated CCTV as a requirement for trains, CCTV has been included on all new trains and most refurbished trains.
Government funding is available to Local Authorities to support infrastructure improvements to tackle crime through their Local Transport Plan integrated transport block allocations. Schemes funded in this way include the installation of CCTV cameras in bus shelters.
There has been no Government research into the effects on the number of charges and convictions for criminal activity on public transport if full operational CCTV were to be installed. However, there has been a Government funded national evaluation of CCTV generally which includes an analysis of the perceptions of offenders and any changes in recorded crime in CCTV areas, buffer areas surrounding the CCTV areas (intended to detect displaced crime) and control areas. The report will be published at the end of this year.