House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 28 Apr 2003 (pt 55)

28 Apr 2003 : Column 209W—continued

Crime Statistics

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the clear up rate for Suffolk Constabulary was for (a) burglary of dwellings, (b) violence against the person, (c) vehicle crime, (d) robbery and (e) sexual offences in each year since 1997. [108780]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The requested information is given in the table.

There was a change in counting rules for detections on 1 April 1999. The new instructions provide more precise and rigorous criteria for recording a detection, with the underlying emphasis on the successful result of a police investigation. Numbers of detections before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.

28 Apr 2003 : Column 210W

Recorded crime: Detection rates for SuffolkPercentage

Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Burglary in a dwelling Vehicle crime

1997⁽⁴⁸⁾ 91 83 55 33 ⁽⁵¹⁾19

1998–99⁽⁴⁹⁾ 87 74 43 35 ⁽⁵²⁾22

1999–2000⁽⁵⁰⁾ 83 63 53 24 ⁽⁵³⁾13

2000–01 79 54 45 20 ⁽⁵³⁾11

2001–02 77 48 40 19 ⁽⁵³⁾12

	Violence against the person	Sexual offences	Robbery	Burglary in a dwelling	Vehicle crime
1997⁽⁴⁸⁾	91	83	55	33	⁽⁵¹⁾19
1998–99⁽⁴⁹⁾	87	74	43	35	⁽⁵²⁾22
1999–2000⁽⁵⁰⁾	83	63	53	24	⁽⁵³⁾13
2000–01	79	54	45	20	⁽⁵³⁾11
2001–02	77	48	40	19	⁽⁵³⁾12

⁽⁴⁸⁾ Crime statistics were recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997, and on a financial year basis thereafter.

⁽⁴⁹⁾ Percentage detected using the expanded coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.

⁽⁵⁰⁾ Revised detections guidance was implemented on 1 April 1999.

⁽⁵¹⁾ This figure is based on aggravated vehicle taking, theft from a vehicle and theft of a motor vehicle.

⁽⁵²⁾ This figure is based on the offences included within 'note 4', plus vehicle interference/tampering and criminal damage to a vehicle.

⁽⁵³⁾ This figure is bases on the offences within 'note 5', plus racially aggravated criminal damage to a vehicle.

⁽⁵⁴⁾ Suffolk police adopted the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) on 1 April 2001, one year earlier than its official introduction across England and Wales. This may have affected the detection rates given for 2001–02.

Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the recorded crime rate in Suffolk was in each year since 1997, broken down by major category of crime. [108631]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The requested information is given in the table.

There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which would have the tendency to increase the number of offences counted. This will have had an effect on the number of offences recorded per 100,000 population. Numbers of offences before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.

As a result of Suffolk police adopting the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in advance of its official introduction across England and Wales on 1 April 2002, numbers of offences recorded for 2001–02 may have been inflated.

Recorded crime: Number of offences per 100,000 population for Suffolk

Total Violence against the person Sexual offences Robbery Total violent crime Burglary

1997⁽⁵⁵⁾ 5,387 370 60 21 452 921

1998–99⁽⁵⁶⁾ 5,987 573 61 21 655 936

1999–2000⁽⁵⁷⁾ 6,460 790 58 33 881 926

2000–01 6,569 948 62 26 1,037 851

2001–02 7,426 1,082 71 43 1,196 933

Theft and handling stolen goods Fraud and forgery Criminal damage Drug offences Other offences

1997⁽⁵⁵⁾ 2,562 169 1,184 ⁽⁵⁸⁾— 99

1998–99⁽⁵⁶⁾ 2,565 315 1,185 237 94

1999–2000⁽⁵⁷⁾ 2,596 325 1,423 210 99

2000–01 2,549 352 1,505 175 102

2001–02 2,856 357 1,779 190 115

	Total	Violence against the person	Sexual offences	Robbery	Total violent crime	Burglary
1997⁽⁵⁵⁾	5,387	370	60	21	452	921
1998–99⁽⁵⁶⁾	5,987	573	61	21	655	936
1999–2000⁽⁵⁷⁾	6,460	790	58	33	881	926
2000–01	6,569	948	62	26	1,037	851
2001–02	7,426	1,082	71	43	1,196	933

	Theft and handling stolen goods	Fraud and forgery	Criminal damage	Drug offences	Other offences
1997⁽⁵⁵⁾	2,562	169	1,184	⁽⁵⁸⁾—	99
1998–99⁽⁵⁶⁾	2,565	315	1,185	237	94
1999–2000⁽⁵⁷⁾	2,596	325	1,423	210	99
2000–01	2,549	352	1,505	175	102
2001–02	2,856	357	1,779	190	115

⁽⁵⁵⁾ Crime statistics were recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997, and on a financial year basis thereafter.

⁽⁵⁶⁾ The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the coverage and rules in use until 31 March 1998.

⁽⁵⁷⁾ The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.

⁽⁵⁸⁾ Prior to 1 April 1998, drug offences were recorded within the 'Other offences' offence group.

Note:

Suffolk police adopted the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) on 1 April 2001, one year earlier than its official introduction across England and Wales. As a result of this, the 2001–02 figures given in the table may be inflated.

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Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders were dealt with for supply offences in respect of Class A drugs in the Buckingham constituency in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002. [108514]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The information requested is not available at constituency level.

However, data from the Home Office Court Appearances and Cautions Drugs Database shows that the number of persons in the Thames Valley police force area who were dealt with for supply offences involving Class A drugs in 2000 was 224. These are the latest figures available at the present time.

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of recorded crime in the Buckingham constituency was drug-related in (a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002. [108515]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: Recorded crime figures include statistics on drugs offences, such as possession, and on acquisitive crimes, such as burglary, but do not record whether the latter are related to an offender's drug habits.

However, the New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NEW-ADAM) research programme, which involves interviewing and drug testing those arrested by the police, confirms a link between drug misuse and crime, although the conclusions do not relate specifically to Buckingham. Analysis of the data from the first eight sites in the survey, collected during 1999–2000, shows that 65 per cent. of arrestees provided a urine sample that tested positive for one or more illegal drugs. The analysis also shows that up to 29 per cent. of arrestees tested positive for opiates (including heroin) and/or cocaine (including crack).

As a guide to the proportion of crime that is drug-related, analysis of the NEW-ADAM self-report data indicates that while only 21 per cent. of non-drug using arrestees reported having previously offended in the past 12 months, this figure rises to 75 per cent. for those arrestees who use heroin and/or cocaine/crack. Moreover, while users of both heroin and cocaine/crack represented just under one quarter of all arrestees interviewed, they were responsible for more than three fifths of all the illegal income reported.

In support of this, 55 per cent. of arrestees who reported using one or more drugs in the last 12 months and committing one or more acquisitive crimes, acknowledged a link between their drug use and their offending behaviour. This proportion rose to 78 per cent. for arrestees who said they had used heroin and cocaine/crack.

Departmental Annual Report

Mr. Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the annual report of the Department will be published. [107867]

Beverley Hughes: The spring 2003 Departmental Reports are to be published between 28 April and 16 May 2003. We will publish our Departmental Report within this period.

28 Apr 2003 : Column 212W

Distraction Burglary

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Answer of 21 March, Official Report, column 969W, how many suspected incidences of distraction burglary have taken place in each of the last three years. [109192]

Mr. Bob Ainsworth: The figures for distraction burglaries received from police forces do not distinguish between suspected and other cases. Nor is it possible to provide a breakdown by whether the burglary was successful or an attempt.

In the British Crime Survey, burglaries where entry was gained by false pretences are split between "with entry" and "attempts". The most recent results can be found in table 3a in "Crime in England and Wales 2001–02. Supplementary Volume", which was published in January 2003. This reports that there were 426,000 attempted burglaries and 565,000 burglaries with entry, of which 10 per cent. and four per cent. respectively involved the offender using false pretences to gain, or try to gain entry.

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