§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Prime Minister whether he has given responsibilities to Ministers other than the Home Office Ministers to monitor and receive reports from chief constables on the subject of street crime. [68024]
§ The Prime MinisterThe street crime initiative involves a wide range of Government Departments tackling street crime with a co-ordinated programme of action. Each of these Departments along with representatives from the Police Service, magistrates and local government is represented on the Street Crime Action Group which I chair.
The Street Crime Action Group agreed that it would be helpful for individual Ministers from each of these Departments to visit the 10 target areas to give encouragement to local agencies and promote a shared approach at local as well as national level. I have asked the following Ministers to act as sponsors for the street crime initiative:
- The right hon. Baroness Blackstone—Avon and Somerset
- Hazel Blears—Lancashire
- Yvette Cooper—Merseyside
- John Denham—London
- The right hon. Lord Falconer—Greater Manchester
- The right hon. Harriet Harman QC—West Yorkshire
- Ruth Kelly—Nottinghamshire
- Barbara Roche—Thames Valley
- The right hon. Lord Rooker—West Midlands
- Stephen Twigg—South Yorkshire.
Data which were already being collected from a range of local agencies including the police and other criminal justice organisations are being copied to them for information.