§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what use the police are making of private enterprise firms with computerised databases and specialised knowledge of art theft. [27851]
§ Mr. MacleanThe police work closely with the art loss register, which has a database of around 70,000 items. The Government consider this is an excellent example of partnership between the police and private enterprise.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of recent trends in the theft of art and antiques in the United Kingdom. [27852]
§ Mr. MacleanNone. The recorded crime figures do not separately identify theft of art and antiques. However, the National Criminal Intelligence Service is aware of the problem of art thefts. Many local police forces have specialist computer systems which enable them to exchange information with each other.