§ Viscount Simonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will instruct local authorities to include road safety in their crime and disorder audits. [HL589]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Williams of Mostyn)The Crime and Disorder Act lays a duty on the local authority and police in every area, in partnership with a wide range of other bodies, to carry out a full audit of the levels and patterns of crime and disorder in that area and then, based upon the findings of the audit and consultation with the community about them, to formulate and implement a strategy for the reduction of crime and disorder. Where road safety is identified as a major crime and disorder problem, we would expect the strategy to address it. However, the Act does not specify what categories of crime and disorder must be included in the audit and strategy; this is for decision locally. We have no plans to issue instructions in the matter.