§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement concerning his policies to combat car crime.
§ Mr. JackOur strategy to tackle crime consists of two main strands—promoting and encouraging practical ways to reduce this type of crime; and ensuring that car criminals are dealt with effectively under the criminal law.
It is important that we should do what we can to tackle car crime by adopting measures that reduce the opportunities for them occurring in the first place.
We have, therefore, been actively encouraging the motor manufacturers to improve the security of their vehicles. Many of the manufacturers are now responding positively, and more new cars are being fitted with advanced security equipment.
It is equally important to tackle the second-hand car market and to upgrade the security of vehicles already on the road. Central to this is making the public more aware of the cost of car crime and providing them with the information they need to make their cars more secure and to reduce the risk of crime happening to them. This has been a major feature of our Car Crime Prevention Year campaign, which has been running throughout most of this year. A review of this has shown a greater awareness during the year, allied with increased sales of security equipment.
We are also pressing the insurance industry to provide incentives for both manufacturers and the public to adopt appropriate security measures. Some insurers have now begun to take greater account of the risk of car crime and the presence of security features when setting premiums. This development is welcomed.
The police, too, have developed many impressive car crime prevention initiatives during the year, including the "Sold Secure" initiative in Essex and the national "Secured Car Parks" scheme. The Government will, of course, continue to support and encourage the police in these efforts.
Progress to date is encouraging. The recorded crime statistics for the most recent quarter—April to June 1992 —show a reduction in car crime of 2.5 per cent. on the corresponding quarter of 1991. Of course, we cannot draw too many conclusions from a single quarter's figures; we hope, however, that this downward turn is the start of a welcome trend.
To help maintain the momentum in continuing with this strategy, I recently formed a specialist committee comprising people who are actively involved in all areas of car security and car crime prevention to advise me on these matters. I envisaged this body playing an important part in enhancing and taking forward the initiatives that we have been developing.
Our strategy for tackling car crime does, however, go much wider than improving vehicle security, essential 209W though this particular factor is. It is also most important to tackle offending behaviour itself. We are therefore giving every encouragement to local probation services, the police and voluntary groups to work effectively to counter motor offending.
The Government have also announced their intention to tackle the problem of people who commit offences—often vehicle related—while on bail.
We are also committed to giving the courts the support and powers that they need, such as in the Aggravated Vehicle-Taking Act which came into force on 1 April, which deals firmly with those who take cars and cause damage, injury or death. My right hon. and learned Friend also announced on 16 July our intention to increase the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving to 10 years, when parliamentary time allows.