Tony Blair and Michael Howard have clashed over the government's record on crime in the last prime minister's questions before the summer recess.

On the 10th anniversary of his election as Labour leader, the prime minister said the government was making progress in tackling law and order.

And he accused the Tory leader of planning to cut the police budget.

Responding, Howard said the government had a "dismal" record on crime and was attempting to tackle the problems with "gimmicks".

Referring to Labour pledges to be "tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime", the opposition leader questioned whether the government was doing enough to tackle the problems.

Howard said recorded crime figures showed violent offences had gone up by 64 per cent since 1998.

But the prime minister insisted that "overall crime is down since we came to power".

"Yes, there are real problems of violent crime, that's why we have got the new Criminal Justice Act coming into force which will make a big difference in many parts of the country, it is also why we have got more police officers, it is also why for example we have got the new measures on anti-social behaviour," Blair told MPs.

"None of this is going to be improved by his plans to cut the police budget in real terms."

But Howard said: "We are not going to cut the police budget, that is absolute nonsense."

And he said his party would fund extra police officers through efficiency savings.

Howard went on to attack the government's record on early release schemes for prisoners.

He said nearly 2000 criminals "have committed crimes when they should have been in prison".

"Their victims won't have been comforted by the prime minister's assurance that is a small percentage," said Howard.  "What's tough on crime about that?"

Continuing the assault, Howard added that the government was only launching "gimmicks" to tackle crime that were never implemented.

"No thugs have been marched to cashpoints, no one has had their housing benefit docked and the courts don't sit at night," he said.

"Isn't the truth that every one of these failed initiatives are typical of this government's dismal record on crime?

"Ten years after his acceptance speech haven't we just had more slogans, more spin, more gimmicks, and more initiatives - none of which are tough on crime or tough on the causes of crime."

But Blair defended policies such as fixed penalty notices, saying "they have been welcomed by police up and down this country".