| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Criminal Convictions
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the (a) male and (b) female adult population has a criminal conviction; and if he will make a statement. [109921]
Mr. Charles Clarke: The exact information requested is not held centrally.
However, from studies of the criminal histories of persons born since 1953 it is estimated that 30 per cent. of males and 7 per cent. of females aged between 18 and 39 have at least one conviction for a standard list offence.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many young people were convicted (a) in each category of recorded crime and (b) in total in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [109915]
(3) what was the average age of offenders in each category of crime and in total for the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [109917]
(4) what is the peak age of offending for (a) males and (b) females; and if he will make a statement. [109920]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The available information on offenders by age comes from the Home Office Cautions and Court Proceedings databases and is given in the tables.
(2) what proportion of crime was committed by young offenders in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [109916]
| All offenders | Offenders aged 10-17 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | [=100%] | Number | Percentage |
| 1994 | 523.9 | 135.9 | 25.9 |
| 1995 | 504.8 | 132.9 | 26.3 |
| 1996 | 491.4 | 124.2 | 25.3 |
| 1997 | 509.4 | 120.1 | 23.6 |
| 1998 | 533.5 | 126.8 | 23.8 |
Note:
The average age cannot be calculated exactly from data in the Home Office Cautions and Court Proceedings databases.
15 Feb 2000 : Column: 499W
| Sex | Peak age |
|---|---|
| Males | 18 |
| Females | 15 |
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of convicted adult offenders were first convicted under the age of 21; and if he will make a statement. [109918]
Mr. Charles Clarke: From a representative sample of adult offenders convicted during 1997, 54 per cent. had previously been convicted when they were under the age of 21.
Mr. Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average age of first time offending for (a) males and (b) females; and if he will make a statement. [109919]
Mr. Charles Clarke: An estimate of the average age for first time offending is not available.
However, results from the youth lifestyles survey, a self report study of persons aged 14 to 25 undertaken between November 1992 and January 1993, indicated that 55 per cent. of the males and 31 per cent. of the females questioned admitted committing at least one of 23 criminal offences at some time in their life. The same study indicated that the average age at which they started to offend was around 13.5 for both males and females.
Data on known offending in 1998--that is those who are cautioned by the police or found guilty by the court for indictable offences--show that the peak age for known offending was 18 for males and 15 for females.
Mr. Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend section 8 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and if he will make a statement. [109889]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Cambridge (Mrs. Campbell) on 1 February 2000, Official Report, column 512W.
Mr. Kaufman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he will reply to the letters
15 Feb 2000 : Column: 500W
dated 25 October, 25 November and 6 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. T. Gulzar; [110337]
Mrs. Roche:
I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 15 February.
Mr. Kaufman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters dated 18 October, 19 November and 22 December from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. R. Taylor and Jacqueline Taylor. [110339]
Mr. Straw:
I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 15 February in response to his letters on behalf of Mr. Taylor and Jacqueline Taylor. I am sorry that I was unable to do so sooner.
Mr. Lidington:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress and future timetable of his review of the law on sexual offences. [110344]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The Sex Offences Review, which started in January 1999, is considering the law on sexual offences. It has held eight consultation conferences and seminars on a number of subjects, and is now drawing together its recommendations. It will be reporting to Ministers this spring, and we hope that the recommendations of the review will be published for public consultation in the early summer.
Mr. Rendel:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the police forces in possession of an electric shock dog collar for use in training, indicating those forces that have used the device since July 1998. [110246]
Mr. Charles Clarke:
The following 20 forces in England and Wales possess electric shock dog collars:
15 Feb 2000 : Column: 501W
Mr. Martyn Jones:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firearms have been misappropriated over the last five years from (a) the police, (b) the Ministry of Defence police, (c) the Atomic Energy Authority police and (d) the armed forces. [108825]
Mr. Charles Clarke
[pursuant to the reply, 10 February 2000, c. 249-50W]: Information on the misappropriation of firearms from the police service is not collected centrally, but inquiries of 41 police forces in England, Wales and Scotland indicate that firearms have been misappropriated from the police in only one incident over the past five years.
On 24 January 1997, an MP5 carbine was misappropriated when the police vehicle in which it was carried was hijacked by armed criminals. The vehicle and the weapon were recovered two days later.
No firearms are recorded as having been misappropriated from the Ministry of Defence Police or the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary during the period concerned.
(2) when he will reply to the letters dated 29 October, 2 December and 6 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Bafaiz Shapari. [110338]
Avon and Somerset
Cambridgeshire
Cheshire
Cleveland
Derbyshire
Gloucestershire
Greater Manchester
Gwent
Hampshire
Humberside
Kent
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
Metropolitan Police
South Wales
Staffordshire
Warwickshire
West Midlands
West Yorkshire.
The following eight forces had used electric shock dog collars in the period July 1998 to November 1999:
Cambridgeshire
I understand that the Association of Chief Police Officers is considering whether these devices should be used in future.
Gwent
Humberside
Leicestershire
Lincolnshire
South Wales
Warwickshire
West Midlands.
| Firearm | 1995-96 | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.56mm rifle | 0 | 9 (8) | (9)1 (1) | 1 (1) | 3 (1) |
| 9mm pistol | 2 | 7 (3) | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| .22in rifle | 0 | 7 (3) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| .77in Air Rifle | 0 | 6 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
(9) This weapon was misappropriated by a soldier and used in a murder. Recovered immediately afterwards when soldier was arrested.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |