HYNDBURN MP Greg Pope has clashed with Home Office Minister David Maclean over the courts failure to tackle the crime wave.

Labour's Mr Pope hit out after Mr Maclean revealed during Home Office questions in the Commons that just six per cent of crimes result in a conviction.

But the Minister added that "the percentage for more serious offences was very much higher."

And he claimed: "Many of those convicted will have been responsible for other crimes."

Mr Pope told him: "According to the British crime survey, the number of offences went up by 40,000 between 1993 and 1995 and the number of convictions went down by 13,000. "Does it not take a special kind of incompetence to reduce convictions at a time of soaring crime?"

Mr Maclean replied: "No, but it takes a certain kind of hypocrisy for a party to complain about those things and then vote against all the measures we have put forward to deal with them."

Mr Maclean also clashed with Blackburn MP and Shadow Home Secretary Jack Straw on youth crime.

Mr Straw said that the government had failed to deal with a crisis in youth crime with the number of offences committed by youngsters shooting up and the number dealt with the police and courts dropping alarmingly.

He said delays in dealing with young offenders had worsened and the number of places in secure accommodation for young convicts had been cut.

Mr Straw said Labour would introduce a fast track procedure to ensure that "prompt and effective action is taken to punish, divert and deter young offenders."

Mr Maclean accused Mr Straw of bluster and said he and Labour had provided no details to justify their claim to be able to improve youth justice.

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