§ 23. Mr. Batisteasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he intends to take to encourage the further growth of neighbourhood or home watch schemes.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThere are now some 16,000 neighbourhood watch schemes in England and Wales 289W which represents a 100 per cent. increase in less than 12 months. We will encourage further growth and development in a number of ways. A national neighbourhood watch conference will take place in Newcastle on 8 December. This will provide an opportunity to consider how we can build further upon the successes of neighbourhood watch.
We are to produce a new quarterly magazine, "Good Neighbour" which will be launched on the day of the conference. This will help to disseminate ideas and projects.
§ 38. Dr. Michael Clarkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the burglary rate in areas operating a neighbourhood watch scheme compares with the rate before the scheme was introduced.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe full effects of neighbourhood watch on burglary rates in areas in which schemes operate would be difficult to assess. Where police forces have isolated crime figures for individual schemes, the results have indicated that neighbourhood watch can reduce burglary in the scheme area.