§ 37. Dr. Twinnasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the first national conference of neighbourhood watch schemes.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe first national neighbourhood watch conference was held by Northumbria police and the Home Office on 8 December. Two hundred and fifty delegates, a mixture of volunteer co-ordinators and police officers from throughout the United Kingdom, met to discuss how the achievements of the neighbourhood watch movement, and the lessons learned from existing schemes, could be used to develop further schemes in communities which would welcome neighbourhood watch, but where no schemes as yet exist.
§ 50. Mr. Sternasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the present coverage of neighbourhood watch schemes; and what plans he has to encourage their extension.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Mr. Thompson) today.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many operational neighbourhood watch schemes have been established in the Metropolitan 645W police area in each year since the scheme was introduced; and when the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis will publish details of research analysing the effectiveness of the schemes.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggI understand from the Commissioner that neighbourhood watch was introduced in the Metropolitan police district in September 1983 and, by the end of 1984, 1,282 schemes had been established. A further 2,488 schemes were established by the end of 1985 and 1,855 more schemes were established up to 31 August 1986. The Home Office has commissioned evaluation research by the Cambridge institute of criminology which will be completed in early 1987. The Commissioner tells me that an evaluation study is being carried out by the Metropolitan police management services department. This study should be completed next spring.