HC Deb 13 May 1981 vol 4 cc287-8W
Mr. Maxton

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will list the principal recommendations of the Scottish Council on Crime report, "Crime and the Prevention of Crime 1975", indicating which have been implemented and which have not; and what are the Government's intentions in regard to the latter.

Mr. Rifkind

The purpose of the Scottish Council on Crime's memorandum "Crime and the Prevention of Crime" was to identify and discuss the main issues involved in crime and its prevention rather than to produce specific recommendations for Government action. The memorandum does not therefore contain any general list of recommendations, but summarises the main issues in its final chapter. These issues and the action taken on them are as indicated below(1) the need for greater attention to the removal of opportunity for crimes of dishonesty: this is not primarily a matter for the Government, but for individual firms and members of the public; (2) possible measures that might forestall certain crimes of violence were discussed. The council's main proposal here, that the police should be given the power to stop and search any person reasonably suspected of carrying an offensive weapon, was implemented in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 1980 (the 1980 Act); (3) the need for all those responsible for influencing public opinion to provide balanced information on the penalties imposed by courts and their consequences: successive Governments have taken appropriate action in this area; (4) the need for any deficiencies in fines enforcement procedures to be dealt with: the Government have now legislated in the 1980 Act to improve procedures and are experimenting with the use of fines enforcement officers; (5) the question of introducing a scheme of reparation by the offender to the victim of his crime: such a scheme was implemented by the Government under the 1980 Act, following the report of the Dunpark committee; (6) the need to take certain groups of socially inadequate offenders out of the prison system; the Government have made provision in the 1980 Act to enable drunken offenders to be taken by the police to a designated place where their problems may be tackled, as an alternative to arrest.