Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kevin Brennan and Baroness Featherstone

Monday 5th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Lynne Featherstone]

I am more than happy to congratulate my hon. Friend’s local police on their efforts to reduce crime and their success in doing so. As I said, I congratulate all police forces across the country who are managing the reductions efficiently and cutting crime.

[Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

Does the Minister agree with Sir Tom Winsor that policing shoplifting is not necessarily to be done?

[Lynne Featherstone]

I might not have put it that way, but when one compares murder with shoplifting, that is one issue. The important point is that all crime should be tackled, regardless of what it is. Someone might start with shoplifting, but who knows where they will end up? Our objective is to cut all crime.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kevin Brennan and Baroness Featherstone

Monday 12th December 2011 Commons Chamber

[Lynne Featherstone]

My hon. Friend makes a very important point, and working with the communities is the only way deal with this issue. We want people to come forward and we do not want families to be deterred, so it is only by working with communities that we are likely to achieve our aims.

[Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

16. What assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the appointments booking system at her Department’s offices in Croydon.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kevin Brennan and Baroness Featherstone

Monday 27th June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

How will destroying the DNA of people who have been arrested for rape, had their files sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions, but with a charge not being able to be brought, help to reduce sexual violence against women?

[Lynne Featherstone]

As I said last Thursday, we do not believe in keeping 1 million innocent people on the database. If someone is arrested for rape and not charged, but the local police believe that they are a danger to public safety, the police may apply to the commissioner to retain their DNA for three years, as the right hon. Member for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford (Yvette Cooper) said.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kevin Brennan and Baroness Featherstone

Monday 6th December 2010 Commons Chamber

[Lynne Featherstone]

I agree with my hon. Friend. Under part V of the Police Act 1997, all convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, both spent and unspent, held on the police national computer must be disclosed. Obviously, I cannot comment on this particular case, but young people’s life chances can be ruined by one incident when they were young. That is why these issues are being looked at as part of a review of the criminal records regime and the vetting and barring scheme.

[Kevin Brennan (Cardiff West) (Lab)]

Can the Minister confirm that anyone receiving an official caution is accepting their guilt and that, in reviewing Criminal Records Bureau checks, she should bear in mind the balance of risk and make sure that that is at the forefront of her thoughts on this issue at all times?

[Lynne Featherstone]

I have complete faith in the fact that the review will adopt a balanced viewpoint and understand all that it needs to look at.