§ 42. Mr. JackTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the record to date of employing offenders on community service in crime prevention initiatives in north-west England; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenOffenders on community service orders work on a variety of crime prevention projects. Recent examples from north-west England include: erecting fencing for elderly people and other vulnerable members of the community (Bolton and Wigan), distributing leaflets about local crime prevention initiatives (Manchester), making interior flaps to secure household letterboxes (Liverpool), and decorating and preparing a workshop for the production of security grills for doors and windows (Oldham). The probation service also has close links with local victim support schemes and community service workers have been used to make good the damage and to secure premises after a break-in. This 755W aspect of community service work has not been assessed centrally, but we are keen to encourage area probation services to undertake more projects of this kind.