§ 23. Mr. BurgonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the impact on crime levels of CCTV in small towns; and if he will make a statement. [116810]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkePolice operational experience and a number of research studies reveal that Closed Circuit Television has considerable crime reduction and detection success in small towns and elsewhere, particularly when used as part of a wider crime strategy.
Demand under the first round of the £153 million CCTV Initiative demonstrates that crime and disorder partnerships regard CCTV as a valuable asset: we have already invested around £60 million over 320 schemes in England and Wales, including small towns and rural areas.
I announced the second round of the Initiative on 31 March. Around £90 million remains available for allocation, and increased emphasis will be given to proposals from rural areas and community shopping centres where crime and the fear of crime are having a significant adverse effect on local people.