HC Deb 22 July 2002 vol 389 cc825-6W
Mrs. Brooke

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what proportion of offences of(a) theft and (b) robbery relating to mobile phones in the last three years have involved both offenders and victims who are school-age children; [40008]

(2) how many offences of (a) theft and (b) robbery relating to mobile phones were (i) reported and (ii) recorded by the police in the last two years where those offences took place on school premises. [40006]

Mr. Denham

[holding answer 5 March 2002]: The requested information is not routinely collected centrally.

A research study, 'Mobile phone theft' (by Victoria Harrington and Pat Mayhew, Home Office research study 235), included provisional results of a survey of 15,000 11–15 year olds which estimated that 12 per cent. of those questioned had been a victim of phone theft at least once in the last year. However, this survey was conducted in deprived areas.

A MORI survey in early 2001 of 5,000 11–16 year olds, also quoted in the research study, estimated that 5 per cent. had been a victim of mobile phone theft at least once in the last year. The sample used was regarded as being more representative.

The research study separately estimated that, overall, in police areas where the research took place, 48 per cent. of all victims of phone robbery, and 63 per cent. of those accused of the offence, were under 18.

We are working with the police and the mobile phone industry to reduce mobile phone robbery, undertaking public awareness campaigns and joint tracking exercises. Our discussions with operators have recently borne fruit. By the summer all five of the main operators will be able to bar stolen handsets by reference to the unique IMEI number which identifies the handset. All of the operators are also working together to develop a shared database of stolen phones, which will allow them to disable stolen phones if there is an attempt to use them on a different network. We believe that this is a very important step forward, as it should remove one of the major incentives for robbery.

Operators have also agreed to improve security as they invest in new systems. We are pressing the handset manufacturers for similar commitments. A start has been made, but more needs to be done before Britain's mobile phone system can lead the world in security. The mobile phone industry needs to show more interest in the security of phones they are selling to British consumers and, as the motor industry has done, do more to prevent their customers from becoming the victims of crime.