Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 9 Ebrill 2001.
Jack Straw
The Secretary of State for the Home Department
12:00,
9 Ebrill 2001
I agree with both my hon. Friend's observations. A great deal has been done, but there is a great deal more to do; we should not be satisfied with the amount of co-operation that has been achieved until crime is almost eliminated from those areas. I have heard good reports from my hon. Friend about the crime and disorder partnership in Havering; there is no doubt at all that where the partnerships are really working, they are very effective indeed in helping to reduce crime and disorder and to make communities feel safer.
All local crime and disorder partnerships now have to put together their further strategies, which have to be ready by 2002. A great deal of work is going on between the Audit Commission, the Local Government Association and the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders better to ensure that they produce those strategies.
On my hon. Friend's second point, I accept the need for resources; many of them can come from the main programmes of local authorities and the police, because those programmes—for example, on housing—suffer if levels of crime and disorder are high. Savings can be made if levels are lower. The money announced today by my right hon. Friends the Chancellor and the Minister of State, Cabinet Office will go direct to the crime and disorder partnerships; they can use it in whatever way they think best—including, for example, paying for additional applications for antisocial behaviour orders.
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