§ Mr. HillTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to ensure that more neighbourhood watch schemes are instituted; and if he will issue guidelines to chief officers of police on how best to co-operate with the scheme.
§ Mr. John PattenThere are now almost 56,000 neighbourhood watch schemes in England and Wales involving some 3 million households. Nevertheless, there is certainly scope for the further development of the neighbourhood watch concept and for the establishment of new schemes. We believe that schemes are likely to be most effective when they are the product of action by concerned local people. I am pleased therefore that one of the first tasks of Crime Concern, the new independent national crime prevention organisation which was launched on 23 May, will be to promote and support local effort of this kind. We are also currently considering the issue of a guidance note intended to facilitate the establishment of neighbourhood watch schemes.