§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on crime in the retail industry. [R] [88647]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 7 January 2003]: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and I recognise the detrimental impact that crime has on the retail industry and other business sectors. That is why I launched a consultation process in December to seek the views of business organisations and other stakeholders on the best means of creating and maintaining effective partnerships to reduce the opportunities for crime against business and enhance the contribution that business can make to crime reduction.
584WIt is our intention to build on the good work already done by organisations like the British Retail Consortium in the development of retail crime reduction partnerships in main town and shopping centres. We will continue to support such partnerships.
The Home Secretary announced in April last year a new survey of crime affecting retail and manufacturing business. This will give a range of information about the types of crime which most impact on these business sectors and provide insights into the most effective interventions to address them. Results of the survey should be available in the summer.
The Government have allocated £15 million over the years 2001–02 to 2003–04 to improve the security of small retail businesses in deprived areas. Nearly 3,000 shops benefited from the first year's funding and a further 4,500 individual shops and businesses will benefit directly from the £6 million made available under the second year of the scheme. A further £6 million will be available in the third year to enable more shopkeepers to benefit from extra security.
Many of the Government's crime reduction initiatives, such as the closed circuit television initiative with nearly 700 schemes approved, also have a beneficial impact on retail crime.
§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of crime in the retail industry in(a) Lancashire, (b) the north-west of England and (c) Wales; [R] [88653]
(2) what estimates he has made of the financial cost of petty crime on small retail businesses in the UK. [R] [88648]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 7 January 2003]: The total cost of all commercial and public sector victimisation in England and Wales was estimated to be £9.1 billion in 1999–2000, of which around £3.1 billion was due to theft from shops. Figures are not available regionally nor by the size of establishment.
The 1994 Commercial Victimisation Survey gives average yearly costs of crime in 1993 across all small employers (1–10 employees) in the retail sector in England and Wales. These are shown in the table by product sold.
585W
Average yearly costs (1993) of crime for all small employers in the retailing sector, whether victimised or not Product sold Average cost (£) Food 2,040 Alcohol/tobacco 2,730 High value electrical/patented goods 2,250 Furniture/clothing 2,040 Jewellery/precious metal 1,880 None of the above 1,500 All 1,850 A new survey of crime affecting retail and manufacturing business is currently being carried out and the results should be available later in the year.