House of Commons
Monday 7 July 1997
The House met at half-past Two o'clock
PRAYERS
[Madam Speaker in the Chair]
Oral Answers to Questions
HOME DEPARTMENT
Workplace Fire Safety
3. Mrs. Betty Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the implementation of the workplace fire safety proposals. [5508]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. George Howarth): Since 2 May, written representations have been received from the Fire Brigades Union, the Fire Industry Council and from one fire safety consultant.
Mrs. Williams: I thank my hon. Friend for his answer. Given the previous Government's delay and dithering over this extremely important issue, when will my hon. Friend introduce regulations to implement the workplace fire safety directive?
Mr. Howarth: It is our intention shortly to lay regulations to put in place the EC fire safety regulations and the workplace directive. The fire authorities, which have the most experience and expertise, will be the appropriate bodies to enforce those regulations. We also intend to interpret them as flexibly as possible, so as not to place too many undue burdens on business.
Wheel Clamping
4. Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of wheel clamping. [5509]
The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Alun Michael): The present situation on wheel clamping on private land is quite unsatisfactory. We are considering what can be done to deal with those wheel clampers who unscrupulously prey on motorists.
Mr. O'Brien: I thank my hon. Friend for that reply. My constituents and I have witnessed extortion, bullying and many other threats from wheel clampers. My hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton) is experiencing the same problem. We have not had the results of the consultation process started by the previous Government, and the threat from bullies through wheel clamping remains. Will my hon. Friend take note of my
concerns and those expressed by other hon. Members and resurrect the consultation procedure which was started by the Tories? It was never meaningful, so we now need to do something drastic about this problem.
Mr. Michael: My hon. Friend is right. The previous Government launched a consultation process, which was used as an excuse for not accepting amendments during the passage of the 1994 Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill. We wanted to include a provision in that legislation. It should be clear that if a clamper uses threats of violence or criminal damage when demanding money, he could be committing a criminal offence. Such threatening behaviour should be reported to the police. In the short term, before there is an opportunity to deal with this problem through legislation, I give my hon. Friend an undertaking to discuss the issue with the police, so that the best use can be made of the law as it stands to protect the public.
Sir Sydney Chapman: Does the Minister agree that the public should not be allowed to trespass on private land without permission? Will he think carefully when introducing any law in that respect? The Government should uphold the right of private landowners to charge people who infringe on their land up to and not beyond a maximum amount set by the Government.
Mr. Michael: The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. The difficulty is that, often, land does not appear to be private land, or it is land on to which the public are attracted for business or commercial purposes or for a variety of other reasons. The Court of Appeal set an important precedent in its ruling in the case of Arthur and Arthur v. Anker, stating that clampers had acted legally because adequate warning signs had been displayed and the release fee had been reasonable. The problem that we must tackle is that of the unscrupulous wheel clampers who threaten or prey on the public. We are concerned that those people should be caught and should not be able to pursue those activities.
Ms Rosie Winterton: Does my hon. Friend recognise that his announcement today will be widely welcomed, especially in my constituency of Doncaster, Central, where freelance clampers are regarded as little more than modern-day highway robbers, whose weapons include a beaten-up car, a rusty clamp and a mobile telephone, and whose intimidatory tactics in demanding immediate cash payment cause distress to their victims? Will he take into account during his consultation exercise any evidence that I can give him from people who have direct experience of cowboy clampers?
Mr. Michael: Yes, certainly; I would welcome evidence from my hon. Friend and others who have experienced the situation. The inception of the consultation undertaken by the previous Government dates back almost four years. We have to maintain a balance between ensuring that such actions can be deployed to deal with those who have every warning, yet persist in parking on private land when they are not justified in doing so, and ensuring that the public are protected against unscrupulous elements that exist in any trade or business. That is part of the wider agenda--the more general regulation of the private security industry--
and we pleaded with the previous Government to deal with it. It is in that context that I believe we shall be able to make progress in due course.Crime (Children)
5. Mr. Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends to take to prevent children turning to crime; and if he will make a statement. [5510]
The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. Jack Straw): I welcome the hon. Gentleman's interest in this issue. Tackling the crisis in the youth justice system is the Government's No. 1 priority in the field of law and order.
During the 10 years from 1984, youth crime rose by 36 per cent., while the number of young offenders dealt with fell by more than a third, and delays worsened. In November 1996, the Audit Commission condemned the previous Government's record when it said:
Mr. Fraser:
In being more specific than that response, will the Secretary of State consider what further co-operative measures his Department will initiate, such as those arranged by Dorset's drug action team on alcohol and drug use among young people?
Mr. Straw:
I should be delighted to consider those proposals. During the general election campaign, we published a detailed set of policy proposals for dealing both with drug-related crime, including drug treatment and testing orders, and with alcohol-related crime. Provisions in respect of both will feature in the crime and disorder Bill, to be published later this year. I welcome the hon. Gentleman's input into those measures.
Ms Keeble:
I welcome my right hon. Friend's statement--[Interruption.] When he looks at measures to deal with crime, will he consider the success of the diversion unit in Northamptonshire, which was praised by the Audit Commission report that he mentioned, and see whether lessons in dealing with youth crime can be learned from it?
Mr. Straw:
I should be delighted to do so--despite the mocking laughter from the Opposition Benches, which is not surprising, given the Opposition's record. My predecessor was also interested in the very important and beneficial experience in Northamptonshire for many young offenders. We shall, of course, take it on board in developing our proposals.
Mr. Maginnis:
Irrespective of the consideration and accommodation that the state may provide for family life in the 21st century, does the Home Secretary agree that
Mr. Straw:
I agree entirely with the hon. Gentleman's comments. He will be interested to know that last year, in opposition, I published a detailed discussion document about parenting and the need to improve parenting education and support. Also, as part of our crime and disorder Bill, we will make specific provision for parental responsibility orders to deal with that small minority of parents who do not take their responsibilities as parents seriously enough.
Mrs. Brinton:
Does my right hon. Friend agree that a proportion of crime is caused by young people roaming around on their own without their parents? Does he agree that it is essential that firm action is taken to ensure that parents take responsibility for their children? Is he aware that, in Peterborough, we have launched the Bretton Youth Trust, which enables young people to take a positive part in improving their community and, therefore, their lives?
Mr. Straw:
I am aware of the Bretton Youth Trust and I paid a visit to that area of Peterborough before the election. I can tell my hon. Friend that another part of the crime and disorder Bill will be provision for child protection orders to ensure that parents are not able to allow young children to play outside or to commit crimes late at night while unsupervised.
Mr. Clappison:
Will the Home Secretary explain why the Government have announced that, after all, they will build five secure training centres for persistent young offenders, when the Prime Minister has described such a policy as a sham?
Mr. Straw:
I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on his elevation to the Front Bench.
"Less is now being done than a decade ago to address offending by young people."
Against that background, we are determined to reform this inefficient system to ensure that young offenders are punished promptly and effectively and are diverted from drifting into a life of crime. One of our five key pledges is to halve the time that it takes to get persistent young offenders from arrest to sentence. I look forward to the hon. Gentleman's support for our proposals.
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