7. Budget 2017—Youth Crime ReductionKANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National) to the Associate Minister of JusticeBudget 2017—Youth Crime Reduction7. KANWALJIT SINGH BAKSHI (National) to the Associate Minister of Justice: What announcements have been made as part of Budget 2017 about the Government's investment to reduce youth crime?Hon MARK MITCHELL (Associate Minister of Justice): Budget 2017's $2 billion law and order package includes $46.9 million over the next 4 years to help prevent youth offending and burglaries. This will include a range of measures from employment support and family therapy through to counselling for offenders to address violence or antisocial thoughts. Our clear focus and priority is public safety combined with initiatives to tackle the root causes of crime. Everyone should be safe in their homes and businesses and we are focusing on what works to ensure that this is the case.Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi: What other ways will Budget 2017 help keep Kiwis safe?Hon MARK MITCHELL: Budget 2017's $2 billion law and order package includes $46.9 million—sorry Mr Speaker I have got the wrong piece of paper. Budget 2017 includes a $14.1 million boost to support victims against repeat targeting by installing additional security features such as window locks or security lights. We are also investing $3.2 million in more youth mentoring because it is clear that many troubled young people lack good role models to guide them in their formative years. Young burglars are most likely to go on to live a life of more serious crime so addressing their problems early means our homes and businesses will be safer now and in the longer term.Darroch Ball: How can he think including 17-year-olds in the youth justice system will reduce youth crime when that very system has delivered a 40 percent increase in youth robberies a 15 percent increase in youth burglaries over a year a concurrent decrease of convictions in court for that age group and a 60 percent reoffending rate by young offenders with almost half reoffending three or more times or does he want 17-year-olds to be exposed to that utter failure too?Hon MARK MITCHELL: It is proven that putting 17-year-olds into the adult system for low-level crime will not assist them or prevent them from going on to serious crimes. If 17-year-olds do commit a serious crime—e.g. an aggravated robbery—then they will be dealt with in the adult court.Clayton Mitchell: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister sounds like he was quoting some official figures or a report that he was referring to. Could we ask the Minister—Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is very easily checked. Was the Minister using an official document when he answered that question?Hon MARK MITCHELL: No Mr Speaker.Darroch Ball: I seek leave to table a number of documents compiled by the library that show that there has been an increase in serious crimes committed by 15- to 19-year-olds and a concurrent decrease in convictions in court for that same age group over that same—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Leave is sought to table that series of documents that have been prepared by the Parliamentary Library. Is there any objection to them being tabled? There is not; they can be tabled.Documents by leave laid on the Table of the House.