Written question asked by Andrew Mitchell (Conservative) on Monday, 31 January 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 8 February 2005. It was answered by Hazel Blears (Labour) on Tuesday, 8 February 2005 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the Government's strategy is for preventing attacks on cash in transit vehicles; what assessment he has made of regional variations in police response times to cash in transit vehicle attacks; and what strategies he intends to put in place to reduce regional variations; what research has been carried out into how cash stolen in cash in transit attacks is used by organised crime; what the average sentence was for individuals convicted of cash in transit attacks in each of the last five years.

Answer: Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the Government's strategy is for preventing attacks on cash in transit vehicles; [213592] (2) what assessment he has made of regional variations in police response times to cash in transit vehicle attacks; and what strategies he intends to put in place to reduce regional variations; [213593] (3) what research has been carried out into how cash stolen in cash in transit attacks is used by organised crime. [213594] (4) what the average sentence was for individuals convicted of cash in transit attacks in each of the last five years. [213595] Ms Blears: The Home Office has been in discussion with the British Securities Industry Association and police to reduce cash-in- transit robberies. The industry has committed itself to tackling this crime through the spread of good practice and the use of technology to protect cash-in-transit deliveries, the industry is also working closely with the police to share intelligence relating to cash-in-transit robberies. Statistics on police response times to cash-in-transit vehicle attacks and average sentences for individuals convicted of cash in transit attacks are not held centrally. We are not aware of any research into how cash stolen in cash-in-transit attacks is used.

Secondary information