§ Mr. TruswellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received regarding the financial position of the National Neighbourhood Watch Association; what funds have been made available to the Association; what assessment he has made of the Association's ability to continue its work; if he will publish the audit of the Association undertaken by his Department; what steps he is taking to assist the Association in maintaining its support to local neighbourhood watches; and what other arrangements he is putting in place to maintain support to local neighbourhood watches. [178234]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 14 June 2004]: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has received representations from 32 Members of Parliament and 55 members of the public about the financial position of the National Neighbourhood Watch Association (NNWA).
£350,000 of public funds were made available to the Association in 2003.
The NNWA is an independent organisation itself responsible for assessing its capabilities.
The audit was not intended for publication. Copies have been supplied to the NNWA and they may publish the report if they wish to.
985WThe National Association informed us in November 2003 that, until further notice, it would cease most of its support for local associations and concentrate on its commercial activities.
The main support to local Neighbourhood Watch schemes is in the form of partnership working from the police, Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships, and the community safety departments of local authorities. We have asked police forces to ensure these arrangements are robust. We are also examining provision of website and advice line support.
Home Office support for local schemes will continue unchanged. This includes the printing and distributing of Neighbourhood Watch publications worth £100,000 per annum. It also provides training materials like the "Crime Reduction Basics" and "Passport to Crime Reduction" toolkits, of which over 6,000 were sent to local schemes in December 2003.
The Home Office is currently piloting a new quarterly community safety magazine called "The Word", with a section dedicated to Neighbourhood Watch, which will in future go out nationally.
§ Bob RussellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Home Office(a) Ministers and (b) officials had contact with the National Neighbourhood Watch Association over the Association's attempts to use the Neighbourhood Watch logo in connection with private sector sponsorship; and if he will make a statement. [178412]
§ Ms BlearsMy right hon. Friend the Home Secretary has corresponded with the National Neighbourhood Watch Association and officials from the Crime Reduction Directorate of the Home Office and Treasury Solicitors have met them and corresponded with them on a number of occasions.
§ Mr. WyattTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what restrictions he has placed on the use of the National Neighbourhood Watch Association logo. [178574]
§ Ms Blears[holding answer 14 June 2004]: The National Neighbourhood Watch Association logo is a variant of the Neighbourhood Watch logo, which is Crown copyright. The National Neighbourhood Watch Association has registered the Neighbourhood Watch logos as its own trademarks and the Home Office is currently holding discussions with the Association to recover them and to agree how they may be used by the Association in future.