§ Gregory BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will make a statement on the relationship between the police and neighbourhood watch schemes. [140891]
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§ Ms BlearsThe police play a crucial supporting role for Neighbourhood Watch at a local level. This includes providing advice on how to set up schemes and assisting with administration and publicity. In some cases coordinators and scheme members work as part of a "Watch Support Group" in police premises.
Watch schemes can be vital partners of the police in the fight against crime. Their role in preventing crime, supporting victims and reporting crime is a key one.
The Government along with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Neighbourhood Watch Association are building on this relationship to ensure that those who give their time to their local Neighbourhood Watch schemes and their communities will get as much support as possible from the police.
§ Gregory BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much funding was provided by central Government to the Neighbourhood Watch Scheme in each of the last three years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [140892]
§ Ms BlearsNeighbourhood Watch is a movement of over 155,000 local schemes covering around six million households. Local schemes are independent and largely self-financing. Police support for schemes can be considerable but its monetary value has not been calculated.
The Home Office supports the National Neighbourhood Watch Association. For the last three years it sponsored their annual conference at a cost of £80,000pa. The organisation is largely self-financing with funding from the private sector. Last year the Home Office provided a grant of £150,000 and this year it has provided £200,000 to date. This was to assist the Organisation during a period of transition between private sponsors.
The Home Office also pays for the production of a range of Neighbourhood Watch Publications, including a training manual for scheme co-ordinators, worth around £100,000 each year.
§ Gregory BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Neighbourhood Watch schemes there are in England and Wales; and what estimate he has made of how many people belong to them. [140893]
§ Ms BlearsThe 2000 British Crime Survey (BCS) estimated that there were over 155,000 Neighbourhood Watch Schemes in England and Wales covering more than six million households. National Neighbourhood Watch Association estimates that there are approximately 10 million Neighbourhood Watch members in England and Wales.
A copy of the 2000 BCS Findings on Neighbourhood Watch has been placed in the Library.
§ Gregory BarkerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Neighbourhood Watch schemes. [140894]
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§ Ms BlearsThe British Crime Survey contains a number of questions about Neighbourhood Watch, including an assessment of its effectiveness. The findings of the 2000 British Crime Survey have been published and a copy has been placed in the Library.