§ Mr. OttawayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to deal with beggars and squeegee merchants on the streets of Croydon. [114259]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis informs me that there have been a number of operations during the past year in the Croydon area to address these problems and that his officers will continue to respond appropriately to any complaints.
The Commissioner has also advised me that he proposes next month to launch a drive to reduce street crime. Under the new initiative, specialist task forces will be introduced to assist boroughs with particular problems. Aggressive begging, which is intimidatory and often uses force, will be part of the focus of this initiative.