Dr Phillip Lee MP welcomes the upgrade to the website police.uk introduced on 30 January 2012. These improvements give the public an even more detailed picture of crime and anti-social behaviour in Bracknell constituency.

The website now includes incidents of crime and antisocial behaviour recorded at all train stations and railway networks. Soon incidents occurring at or near significant local sites like shopping areas, nightclubs, parks, airports, universities, car parks and hospitals will be added too.

In addition, the website now has more specific detail on the precise location of incidents – while still protecting anonymity.

From May this year police.uk will show the action taken by the police or the justice outcome after a crime.

Dr Lee commented: “Police.uk gives everyone in Bracknell constituency information on just what crime and anti-social behaviour is happening right on their street. In the year since its launch the website has received an astonishing 453 million hits and this upgrade will make even more detail available. I’m pleased the Home Office is listening to the public’s demand for even more information on crime in their neighbourhood ahead of the election this November of our Police and Crime Commissioner for the Thames Valley Police.’

Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, has welcomed the Government’s announcement that will see more dangerous criminals given life sentences, automatic prison sentences for knife criminals and more common sense brought into sentencing.

The Government is introducing a ‘two strikes’ policy so that a mandatory life sentence will be given to anyone convicted of a second very serious sexual or violent crime. Any adult convicted of using a knife to threaten and endanger will go to jail and we propose that any 16 or 17 year old will face a custodial sentence for the same offence. Also the Government is ending the practice of releasing dangerous sexual and violent offenders halfway through their sentence. Those who have been convicted of the most serious crimes in this category will not be released before the end of their sentence without Parole Board approval.

Dr Lee commented: “I welcome the Government’s decision on life sentences for serious offenders. People across Bracknell will feel safer knowing knives are being taken off our streets and serious and dangerous offenders are in prison for life. Under Labour almost 80 per cent of convicted knife criminals avoided jail. Criminals were let out of prison early and all too often went on to reoffend, committing further violent offences, including rape and murder. It’s time to restore common sense to the sentencing of criminals.”

Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, has welcomed Government proposals for tougher community sentences that will see offenders made to do a full five-day week of hard work and job-seeking. The work will include manual labour, improving public areas by clearing up litter, cleaning graffiti and maintaining parks and other green spaces.

The new rules will see unemployed criminals forced to work a minimum of 28 hours over four days, with the fifth day spent looking for full-time employment.

These proposals are part of the Government’s plans to reform sentencing and tackle the root causes of offending. As well as giving something back to communities affected by crime, they will help bring structure to offenders’ lives. This will encourage them back into the routine of hard and meaningful work.

Dr Lee commented:

“People want to see offenders punished for their crimes as well as giving back to the community. They should be made to work the full five-day week that decent, law-abiding citizens do, rather than idly waste their lives on street corners.”

“The introduction of a regular, meaningful working week will help break the cycle of crime and tackle the appalling rate of reoffending we inherited from Labour. We will then see fewer criminals, fewer victims of crime and big savings for the taxpayer – a thoroughly positive result for society and the local community here in Bracknell.”

In the Emergency Debate on Thursday the 11th of August, during an exchange between Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, and Sir Gerald Kaufman, MP for Manchester, he spoke about the fact that poverty is no excuse to poor and violent behaviour.

Dr Lee commented: “I happened to be watching events the other night with my 87-year-old grandfather, who was born into abject poverty—seven living in a two-bedroom terrace cottage with an outside loo that was a hole in the garden. I turned to him and said, “Did you ever think of rioting? Did you ever think of stealing the latest gadget?” and he said, “No.” Why is it that in the 1930s poverty was not an excuse for poor behaviour, but apparently in the 21st century it is?”

See full debate from Hansard here

In the Emergency Debate at the House of Commons on the Inner City Looting on Thursday the 11th of August, Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell, paid tribute to the Thames Valley Police on the support that they provided in London in recent days.

During the Prime Minister’s statement, Dr Lee enquired whether the Prime Minister would agree that relative poverty is no excuse for having no values.

During the statement, the Prime Minister concurred with his question and stated that there is no excuse for the sort of law breaking, looting and violence that we saw. It is necessary to restore equality in Britain, allow opportunities to be spread more equally and make our schools the engines of social mobility.

Dr Lee commented: “We will provide support to those that need help and were the victims of these appalling crimes. We will have to work hard to help turn offenders away from a life of crime.”

See full debate from Hansard here