§ 40. Mr. Jacques ArnoldTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many households in England and Wales are now members of a neighbourhood watch scheme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenThere are now almost 60,000 neighbourhood watch schemes in England and Wales, covering some 3.25 million households. The total number of schemes is over 16,000 more than 12 months ago and four times the total of two years ago. I welcome this evidence of the public's growing support for crime prevention in general, and the concept of neighbourhood watch in particular.
§ 54. Mr. NealeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many homes in the Metropolitan police area are now covered by a neighbourhood watch scheme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenI understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that 833,392 households, or around 2 million people, are members of neighbourhood watch schemes in the Metropolitan police district. They will all be encouraged by the fact that, last year, the number of burglaries in London fell by 4 per cent.