House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 7 Nov 2002 (pt 97)

7 Nov 2002 : Column 822W—continued

Detection Rates

Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of reported crime the North Wales police detected in (a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001. [79522]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 5 November 2002]: Details for crime are published for financial years, most recently in XCrime in England and Wales 2001–02", of which table 8.01 contains the data on the amount of recorded crime which is detected. A copy is available in the Library.

The figures available for North Wales are for financial years and are as follows:

(a) 1999–2000: 36 per cent.

(b) 2000–01: 31 per cent.

(c) 2001–02: 28 per cent.

Albert Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish a league table of police forces in England and Wales by detection rates. [79523]

Mr. Denham [holding answer 5 November 2002]: Details for the financial years 1997–98 to 2001–02, were published in table 8.01 of XCriminal Statistics England and Wales 2000", and are given in the table. A copy of the publication is available in the Library.

As different police forces have different crime mixes, comparing overall detection rates between forces is of limited value. This is because different types of crime tend to have different detection rates, and so a police force with which has a higher proportion of types of crime with high detection rates will tend to have a higher overall detection rate. Also, police forces may give

7 Nov 2002 : Column 823W

priority to tackling particular types of crime, with the detection rate of those crimes having some effect on the force's overall detection rate.

The detection rates for 2001–02 may have been affected in comparison to those of the previous year as a result of some police forces implementing the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard in advance of its national implementation on 1 April 2002.

There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which increased the total number of crimes counted in each police force area, and

7 Nov 2002 : Column 824W

therefore may have affected the detection rate. Detection rates after this date are therefore not directly comparable with previous years.

There was a change in the counting rules for detections on 1 April 1999, the new instructions providing more precise and rigorous criteria for securing a detection, with the underlying emphasis on the successful result of a police investigation. For example, detections obtained by the interview of a convicted prisoner were no longer included. Numbers of detections before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.

Recorded crime: annual detection rates by police force area and region 1997–98 to 2001–02Percentages

Police force 1997–98⁽¹⁴⁾ 1998–99⁽¹⁵⁾ 1999–2000⁽¹⁶⁾ 2000–01 2001–02

Cleveland 23 23 22 21 20

Durham 30 33 32 34 33

Northumbria 26 30 31 31 31

North East Region 26 29 29 29 29

Cheshire 34 37 31 30 26

Cumbria 41 44 39 34 32

Greater Manchester 20 25 23 22 21

Lancashire 29 34 29 27 26

Merseyside 31 31 26 28 24

North West Region 26 29 26 25 23

Humberside 21 22 19 21 20

North Yorkshire 26 33 31 30 26

South Yorkshire 32 32 25 25 23

West Yorkshire 27 27 25 23 19

Yorkshire and the Humber Region 27 28 24 24 21

Derbyshire 26 31 28 26 25

Leicestershire 34 34 30 28 28

Lincolnshire 46 40 28 25 27

Northamptonshire 35 33 33 33 31

Nottinghamshire 26 25 21 20 18

East Midlands Region 31 31 27 25 24

Staffordshire 34 32 22 23 24

Warwickshire 29 26 22 22 25

West Mercia 27 34 29 27 29

West Midlands 25 30 27 28 29

West Midlands Region 28 31 26 27 28

Bedfordshire 35 33 25 27 25

Cambridgeshire 28 29 25 24 22

Essex⁽¹⁷⁾ 28 29 30 26 26

Hertfordshire⁽¹⁷⁾ 33 34 27 24 24

Norfolk 36 37 30 26 25

Suffolk 39 41 36 35 33

East of England Region 32 33 29 26 26

London, City of 28 33 32 27 34

Metropolitan police⁽¹⁷⁾ 25 22 16 15 14

London Region 25 22 16 15 14

Hampshire 30 35 32 29 29

Kent 31 34 33 28 28

Surrey⁽¹⁷⁾ 35 40 32 28 25

Sussex 26 25 25 23 25

Thames Valley 25 25 20 22 24

South East Region 28 30 27 25 26

Avon and Somerset 26 24 22 22 14

Devon and Cornwall 34 36 35 34 32

Dorset 30 31 26 25 27

Gloucestershire 26 31 30 31 30

Wiltshire 32 38 33 30 30

South West Region 29 31 28 27 23

Dyfed Powys 62 69 65 63 64

Gwent 51 55 53 57 55

North Wales 36 43 36 31 28

South Wales 36 39 31 32 33

Wales 41 46 40 41 39

England and Wales 28 29 25 24 23

England and Wales⁽¹⁸⁾ 29 31 28 27 26

Police force	1997–98⁽¹⁴⁾	1998–99⁽¹⁵⁾	1999–2000⁽¹⁶⁾	2000–01	2001–02
Cleveland	23	23	22	21	20
Durham	30	33	32	34	33
Northumbria	26	30	31	31	31
North East Region	26	29	29	29	29
Cheshire	34	37	31	30	26
Cumbria	41	44	39	34	32
Greater Manchester	20	25	23	22	21
Lancashire	29	34	29	27	26
Merseyside	31	31	26	28	24
North West Region	26	29	26	25	23
Humberside	21	22	19	21	20
North Yorkshire	26	33	31	30	26
South Yorkshire	32	32	25	25	23
West Yorkshire	27	27	25	23	19
Yorkshire and the Humber Region	27	28	24	24	21
Derbyshire	26	31	28	26	25
Leicestershire	34	34	30	28	28
Lincolnshire	46	40	28	25	27
Northamptonshire	35	33	33	33	31
Nottinghamshire	26	25	21	20	18
East Midlands Region	31	31	27	25	24
Staffordshire	34	32	22	23	24
Warwickshire	29	26	22	22	25
West Mercia	27	34	29	27	29
West Midlands	25	30	27	28	29
West Midlands Region	28	31	26	27	28
Bedfordshire	35	33	25	27	25
Cambridgeshire	28	29	25	24	22
Essex⁽¹⁷⁾	28	29	30	26	26
Hertfordshire⁽¹⁷⁾	33	34	27	24	24
Norfolk	36	37	30	26	25
Suffolk	39	41	36	35	33
East of England Region	32	33	29	26	26
London, City of	28	33	32	27	34
Metropolitan police⁽¹⁷⁾	25	22	16	15	14
London Region	25	22	16	15	14
Hampshire	30	35	32	29	29
Kent	31	34	33	28	28
Surrey⁽¹⁷⁾	35	40	32	28	25
Sussex	26	25	25	23	25
Thames Valley	25	25	20	22	24
South East Region	28	30	27	25	26
Avon and Somerset	26	24	22	22	14
Devon and Cornwall	34	36	35	34	32
Dorset	30	31	26	25	27
Gloucestershire	26	31	30	31	30
Wiltshire	32	38	33	30	30
South West Region	29	31	28	27	23
Dyfed Powys	62	69	65	63	64
Gwent	51	55	53	57	55
North Wales	36	43	36	31	28
South Wales	36	39	31	32	33
Wales	41	46	40	41	39

England and Wales	28	29	25	24	23

England and Wales⁽¹⁸⁾	29	31	28	27	26

⁽¹⁴⁾ Excluding offences of Xother criminal damage" of value #20 and under prior to March 1998.

⁽¹⁵⁾ Percentage detected using the expanded coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.

⁽¹⁶⁾ Revised detections guidance was implemented on 1 April 1999.

⁽¹⁷⁾ Forces affected by boundary changes in April 2000.

⁽¹⁸⁾ Excluding London Region.

Note:

Numbers of recorded crimes and detections will be affected by changes in reporting and recording. For further information see chapter 3 in XCrime in England and Wales 2001–02".

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Disability Discrimination (Prisons)

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to start applying the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to prisons and prisoners. [77850]

Hilary Benn [holding answer 20 October 2002]: The Prison Service has already issued policy guidance for the management of disabled prisoners and staff to all establishments. This reflects the requirements of each stage of the implementation of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA).

Prisoners are required to review and change, if necessary, their procedures and practices and to make reasonable adjustments to their services and facilities to ensure that they are accessible to disabled people. Prisons have also published local policy documents outlining what people with disabilities are able to expect at that establishment.

The Prison Service is developing a comprehensive disability strategy which will ensure disability issues are reflected in its practices and policies. This will raise awareness and commitment, and enable the Prison Service to implement the final stage of the DDA in 2004.

Domestic Violence and Rape

Mrs. Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has collated of variations between different police force areas in England and Wales in (a) recorded instances of rape, (b) recorded instances of domestic violence, (c) the clean up rate of recorded instances of rape and (d) the clean up rate of recorded instances of domestic violence. [75069]

Hilary Benn: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

Drug Arrests

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been arrested for possession of (a) cannabis, (b) ecstasy and (c) heroin in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [78961]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Information collected centrally on arrests for notifiable offences does not separately identify individual offences. However, data provided in

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the table shows persons found guilty, cautioned, given a fiscal fine, or dealt with by compounding for possession of cannabis, ecstasy-type and heroin from 1996–2000. The figures cover the UK.

The data are taken from the annual Home Office Statistical Bulletin, which is available on the RDS website (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hosb402.pdf), and copies are available in the Library. These figures are due to be updated in the spring of 2003.

Table 1. Number of persons found guilty, cautioned, given a fiscal fine, or dealt with by compounding for unlawful possession of cannabis, ecstasy-type, heroin in the UK, 1996 to 2000⁽¹⁹⁾

Cannabis Ecstasy-type Heroin

1996 65,095 2,983 4,958

1997 79,085 3,149 7,231

1998 91,148 2,430 9,681

1999 82,129 3,456 10,326

2000 70,306 5,194 9,608

	Cannabis	Ecstasy-type	Heroin
1996	65,095	2,983	4,958
1997	79,085	3,149	7,231
1998	91,148	2,430	9,681
1999	82,129	3,456	10,326
2000	70,306	5,194	9,608

⁽¹⁹⁾ No court appearance data available for Northern Ireland 1998 to 2000.

Note:

Breakdown by drug type for Northern Ireland not available for 1996 to 2000.

Source:

Home Office Drug Seizure and Offender Statistics, United Kingdom, 2000(Supplementary Tables.

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