Oral Answers to Questions

Stephen Mosley Excerpts

Monday 17th November 2014 Commons Chamber

[David Rutley (Macclesfield) (Con)]

2. What assessment she has made of recent trends in the level of crime.

[Stephen Mosley (City of Chester) (Con)]

7. What assessment she has made of recent trends in the level of crime.

[The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mrs Theresa May)]

Police reform is working. Crime is down by more than a fifth under this Government, according to the independent crime survey for England and Wales. England and Wales are safer than they have been for decades, with the survey showing crime at its lowest levels since the survey began in 1981.

--- Later in debate ---

[Stephen Mosley]

This Friday the Cheshire police commissioner John Dwyer and I will hold a meeting with members of the Chester Asian community who are concerned about a recent spate of burglaries aimed at Asian families by people looking for gold and jewellery. What advice would my right hon. Friend give to people who are concerned about this spate of crime?

[Mrs May]

I congratulate my hon. Friend on arranging that meeting to look at a particular problem that affects the Asian community. There are, of course, other communities that are also particularly affected by gold theft. I am pleased to tell my hon. Friend that the crime prevention panel, which we have set up at the Home Office and which is looking at further ways to prevent crime from happening, is looking at that very issue. It is looking in particular at issues relating to the safe storage of gold and other similar valuable items in homes and external locations, and it hopes to be able to report on the matter in the new year.