§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice is issued by his Department to chief constables on policing vehicle cruise events. [159162]
§ Caroline FlintI recognise the problems that vehicle cruise events can generate and welcome the consideration given to the issue last year by the Association of Chief Police Officers' (ACPO) Road Policing Operations Forum. The ACPO policy is now to
encourage forces to work on understanding the website community through which illegal cruising events are organised;apply robust public order tactics to constrain the activity of any illegal cruises, including via the arrest of attendees causing a public nuisance and the seizure of their vehicles;support pro-actively alternative functions organised in accordance with local authority requirements for a public event; and,meet organisers of illegal cruises who are keen to move their hobby into a legal arena.I am pleased that police forces are now adopting this policy. With effect from 1 January 2003, we have given police forces a power under the Police Reform Act to seize vehicles being driven either off-road without authority or on-road carelessly or inconsiderately, and in such a way as to cause alarm, distress or annoyance. We issued guidance at the time on this new provision, which a number of forces are using to tackle cruises.
§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the law relating to vehicle cruise events. [159163]
§ Caroline FlintWe believe the existing law is sufficient to deal with the problems to which vehicle cruise events give rise. We gave the police on 1 January 2003 new powers under section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 to seize vehicles being used anti-socially. I know that a number of forces have been successfully using these to deal with the problems caused by cruises.
§ Mr. Nigel JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has issued to police authorities on monitoring of vehicle cruise events advertised on the internet. [159164]
§ Caroline FlintI am aware that there has over several years been a developing youth culture of attending vehicle cruises. The activity has over 200 websites dedicated to it in the UK. I support the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) policy to encourage forces to work on understanding the website community through which cruising events are organised.