§ Mr. Greenwayasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish the findings of the recent study of crime on the Underground; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. David MitchellThe report of the steering group on crime on the London Underground is being published today. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library.
The report is one of a number of initiatives put in hand following the Prime Minister's crime prevention seminar on 8 January. As my right hon. Friend has already announced, the Government will be making available £15 million to London Regional Transport, over the next three years, to implement the report's 50 recommendations.
Among the practical measures to be applied at Underground stations are:
- —The installation of radio facilities for the police at 42 deep level stations;
- —More and improved closed circuit TV monitoring;
- —Passenger alarms on platforms;
- —Making staff more accessible to assist the public;
- —Improvements to station environments including better lighting.
Top priority is a crackdown on robberies along the southern section of the Northern line between Clapham North and Tooting Broadway, plus a drive against violence and theft at Oxford Circus.
These proposals reflect the Government's high priority to crime prevention and our commitment to do all we can to ensure that travellers on the Underground are given as much protection and assistance as possible. London Underground will now be preparing a fully costed programme of crime prevention measures within the £15 million allocated. The installation of police radios at 42 tube stations and the pilot station projects will be the first items.
In commissioning the study we wanted to look beyond the broad statistics to find out exactly what was happening and where, whether people's fears were justified and what might be done to reduce crime and allay these fears. The report shows that crime is relatively rare when seen in the context of the 725 million journeys made last year. Indeed, 373W last year there were no recorded robberies at almost half of the stations and the majority of stations were free from assaults on passengers. However crime in any form cannot be condoned wherever it occurs. The measures proposed today will, I am sure, prove a positive step both in improving security and re-assuring tube travellers.