Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Browne and David Lammy

Monday 7th January 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Browne]

My hon. Friend is right to draw the House’s attention to an under-reported aspect of the problem, which is the involvement of girls and young women in gangs and the exploitation of them. We are supporting financially young people’s advocates around the country to support girls at risk of suffering from gang-related violence. More generally, we are having a reasonable impact, including through reductions in the past year in homicides, the use of knives or sharp instruments and gun crime, and that impact benefits everybody.

[Mr David Lammy (Tottenham) (Lab)]

The Minister will be aware that just over 18 months ago there was widespread arson, looting and violence, which emanated from my constituency and spread across the country. Given that context, does he view with alarm the Mayor’s decision to shut half of London’s police stations? In particular, is he concerned about the closure of Tottenham police station and the withdrawal of the police officers stationed in it? Is this not just open season for London’s thugs, gang members and hoodlums?

[Mr Browne]

No; I do not accept that characterisation at all. Perhaps I could draw the right hon. Gentleman’s attention to a recent quote from Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, who said:

“If we ended up with less people but better technology, and ended up being better at fighting crime, I’d say that wouldn’t be a bad thing”.

The right hon. Gentleman will note that in London, the Metropolitan police reports that serious youth violence has fallen by 34% since the launch of the new Trident gang crime command less than a year ago, in February 2012.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Jeremy Browne and David Lammy

Tuesday 15th March 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Lammy (Tottenham) (Lab)]

2. What recent assessment he has made of the state of relations between the UK and the countries of the Caribbean; and if he will make a statement.

[The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Jeremy Browne)]

The Government are committed to maintaining and furthering the excellent relationship that we have with the Caribbean. I visited Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica in January, and the Secretary of State for International Development recently announced a 50% increase in DFID’s bilateral aid funding for the Caribbean.

[Mr Lammy]

I am sorry to drag the Minister back to the UK. He will recognise that there is concern in the Caribbean that Britain is ceding its relationship with the Caribbean to the United States, and that many young people, particularly where there is growing unemployment, are turning to things such as basketball instead of cricket. Will he say more about air passenger duty, which is imposing high fares on travel to the Caribbean?