Nick Ferrari Grills Justice Minister Over £15bn Claim
24 May 2018, 11:39
Nick Ferrari held Justice Secretary David Gauke to account over his claim that re-offending rates cost the UK £15billion.
The LBC presenter asked again and again where the figure of £15billion came from - and continued to push until he got an answer he was satisfied with.
"How do you get to that figure?" Nick asked the Secretary of State.
Mr Gauke responded: "We get to that figure by looking at the level of crime reported by offenders. The fact is that what we've seen in recent years is that crimes are committed by fewer and fewer people, but they are committing more crimes.
"If you look at the cost to society of the damage done by crime in terms of security and a whole host of things, our analysis brings it to a cost of £15bn a year."
Nick was not happy with that, asking again: "But how? I don't know how you get to £15bn. You've just blindly said your analysis. Analysis of what? That's quite a figure to get to."
Mr Gauke tried again: "There's a cost of the crime to the individuals involved, the state in terms of policing that. We obviously have to imprison people who commit crimes again.
"Re-offending is a significant issue for society. It has those costs."
Nick still wouldn't let it lie, saying: "I hear that but I still don't quite know how we've got a figure of £15bn.
"I sense you've just plucked the figure out of the air."
He kept asking and asking to try to get to the bottom of it.
Watch the video at the top of the page.
