§ Mr. SayeedTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate the expenditure to date on his Crime Concern initiative.
§ Mr. John PattenCrime Concern, the independent crime prevention organisation, received a Home Office grant-in-aid of £500,000 in 1988–89; the grant for the current year is £1 million.
§ Mr. KeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress and achievements of the Crime Concern initiative.
§ Mr. John PattenSince it was established in May 1988 Crime Concern has made encouraging progress in its central task of stimulating and supporting local crime prevention activity. So far the organisation has
raised money through private sector sponsorship for various projects;launched, in close association with the Confederation of British Industry, a national business and crime initiative; held several conferences, including one for members of youth crime prevention panels;relaunched the magazine Good Neighbour as a means of communicating with members of Neighbourhood Watch; we look to them to do everything possible to promote the Neighbourhood Watch movement as a priority; andset up in Luton the first of a series of area crime reduction programmes involving co-operation between the police, local government and other agencies, and the private sector; I am informed that negotiations are under way in 15 other places.