Crime Prevention (Hansard, 23 January 1986)

§ 26. Mr. Alexander
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of Government initiatives in the field of crime prevention.

§ 73. Mr. Maclean
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of Her Majesty's Government's initiatives on crime prevention.

§ Mr. Giles Shaw
The recent crime prevention seminar chaired by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister resulted in agreement on a range of initiatives by industry, commerce and the Government which will be followed up by a seminar to be chaired by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary in the summer. They include—a British Standard for car security, which will be prepared by the British Standards Institution with the help of the motor manufacturers; 254W —the insurance industry will consider what scope there is to encourage policy holders to improve the security of their homes; —advisory packages on security in inner city households and commercial premises will be produced; —studies will be established and completed urgently on crime on the London Underground, security on new residential estates and violence to bus crews and to helath service staff.
Work is progressing well on the five local crime prevention projėcts and the national community programme crime prevention initiative announced Last autumn. Following encouraging results in London and the midlands, the "Magpies" television and press crime prevention campaign is shortly to be extended to the north of England.

§ 31. Sir Dudley Smith
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has of the percentage of homes in England and Wales which now have burglar alarms or efficient door and window locking systems.

§ Mr. Giles Shaw
Precise figures are not available. It has been estimated, however, that only some 30 per cent. of homes in England and Wales are fitted with effective door and window locks and considerably fewer with burglar alarms. We shall continue to emphasise in our crime prevention advice the importance of fitting and using effective security devices to protect property in the home.

§ Mr. Kilroy-Silk
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what crime prevention measures the Metropolitan police have instituted.

§ Mr. Giles Shaw
In his recently published strategy report (a copy of which is in the Library). the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has emphasised that crime prevention will remain of central importance in his force goal for 1986 with priority being given to the reduction of criminal opportunity through community involvement and co-operation.
Measures include: continued support for crime preventio panels; the further development of;

(a) neighbourhood watch;

(b) measures to divert young people from crime and other anti-social activities;

(c) a publicity campaign to combat auto-crime;

(d) force training to improve the crime prevention skills of all officers;

(e) schemes to provide reduced house contents insurance premiums for participants in neighbourhood watch schemes, in conjunction with the insurance industry; and

(f) guidance and support for architects and planners;

the preparation of practical advice to the public, in particular women, on ways to prevent and respond to physical attack; the introduction of business watch; and the setting up of crime prevention shops in vacant premises.
In addition, more attention is to be paid to helping victims of crime.