Crime Prevention

HC Deb 20 March 1986 vol 94 cc268-9W

11. Mr. Boyes

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what financial assistance is available from his Department for crime prevention measures by (a) local authorities and (b) private citizens.

Mr. Hurd

The main ways in which the Government provide funds for crime prevention projects are through the Department of the Environment's urban programme, under which £6.3 million was allocated in 1985; and the expanded community programme, which is currently allocating about £18 million for places devoted to crime prevention projects.

21. Mr. Eastham

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assistance his Department provides for crime prevention for low-income families.

23. Mr. Clelland

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any proposals to give greater assistance to low-income families and pensioner households in crime prevention.

27. Mr. Evans

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce grants for crime prevention for pensioners and low-income families.

Mr. Giles Shaw

Financial support through the urban and community programmes continues to be available for schemes designed to prevent crime or alleviate its effects. Many such schemes are specifically intended to help those most at risk, including low-income families and the elderly. We increasingly provide advice to local authorities, the police and the community generally in promoting crime prevention initiatives. The Home Office Standing Conference on Crime Prevention, through its working group on residential burglary, is seeking to devise a low-cost security package to protect residential dwellings which might be purchased by those living in particularly vulnerable areas such as the inner city.

35. Mr. Welsh

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will introduce legislation to provide that expenditure by local authorities on designated measures of crime prevention should be eligible for the same support from central funds as expenditure on the police.

Mr. Giles Shaw

The Government make funds available to local authorities for crime prevention projects through the urban and community programmes, but we do not consider legislation of the kind called for by the hon. Member justified. Much crime prevention activity does not require new money, but rather the better use of existing resources.

41. Mr. Spencer

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what new publicity initiatives his Department is launching to promote awareness of crime prevention initiatives.

Mr. Giles Shaw

We have recently launched a major publicity campaign in the north of England, at a cost of 1.7 million, primarily aimed at the prevention of burglary and autocrime. We are also involved in producing a wide range of publicity material on a variety of topics including, local publicity for five local crime prevention demonstration projects, crime prevention material for ethnic minorities, and a new booklet on shop theft. Arrangements have also been made for the distribution of leaflets on the prevention of autocrime with all vehicle licence reminders.

42. Mrs. Virginia Bottomley

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to sustain the progress made in developing crime prevention.

Mr. Giles Shaw

We are making progress on a number of fronts:

My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister chaired a successful seminar on 8 January which will be followed up in the summer.

Five working groups have been set up to look at: car security, residential burglary, shop theft, commercial robbery, violence associated with licensed premises.

Five local demonstration projects with Home Office funded co-ordinators have been established.

A national crime prevention initiative funded through the expanded community programme is being developed.

The successful "Magpies" publicity campaign has been extended to the north of the country.