§ Vera Baird:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he will take to alter public perception found in Improving Public Attitudes to the Criminal Justice System, Home Office Research Study 245, that crime was increasing. [73782]
§ Hilary Benn:The Government believe that the key to improving public perception of crime and criminal justice is to continue to deliver reductions in crime and improvements in the way the criminal justice system operates.
The recently published White Paper, Justice for All, set out what needs to be done to modernise and improve the Criminal Justice System (CJS). The Home Office has been set targets for reducing crime and the fear of crime, improving the delivery of justice and increasing confidence in the criminal justice system.
The Government are committed to improving the prevention and detection of crime, convicting the guilty and rehabilitating offenders so they do not offend again. 946W Reform will also ensure that justice is seen to serve and protect the interests of the community, and especially victims of crime.
The presentation of statistical information about crime has been made clearer and more comprehensive by combining publication of recorded crime statistics and information from the British Crime Survey. An objective in all our communication activity is to work with our partners to close the gap between the public perception that crime is rising against the reality of long term falls in crime. The media make an important contribution to public perceptions of crime, and efforts are being made to encourage responsible reporting of crime. We are also exploring alternative ways to provide accurate information about crime to the public.
The Government have made a commitment to increase the number of crimes that result in the perpetrator being brought to justice, an initiative called `Narrowing the Justice Gap'. A co-ordinated strategy based on: tackling weaknesses in the criminal justice process; targeting types of offender, particularly persistent offenders; and targeting specific types of offence, aims to bring 1.2 million offences to justice by 2005–06. Narrowing the justice gap not only reduces crime but also demonstrates that the criminal justice system is effective and responsive to the needs and concerns of victims and witnesses. The perception that criminals are "getting away with it" is hugely damaging to confidence levels. The Government have made improvement in this area their key aim for the CJS.
We also have a responsibility to promote confidence in the CJS and we are actively working on a programme of work in this area. This will be based on ensuring that the public are aware of the impact of reform and improvements in the delivery of justice.