House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 23 Mar 2004 (pt 28)

23 Mar 2004 : Column 777W—continued

Criminal Justice Act

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will bring section 144 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 into force as a matter of urgency. [158562]

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Paul Goggins [holding answer 4 March 2004]: The Sentencing Advisory Panel has recently consulted on the reduction of sentence for a guilty plea with a view to proposing to the Sentencing Guidelines Council that it should make a guideline in this area. We consider that it would be sensible to await the outcome of this work before making a final decision on the commencement of section 144 of the 2003 Act.

Dogs Act

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were required to provide DNA samples as a result of (a) enquiries and (b) convictions in connection with section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 in (i) Wales and (ii) England in (A) 2001, (B) 2002 and (C) 2003. [162181]

Ms Blears: Under section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 a Magistrates' Court may make an order for a dog to be kept under proper control or for the destruction of the dog. The section does not create an offence.

The powers contained in Section 63 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (as amended) enable the police to take a non-intimate DNA sample without consent from a person held in police detention who has been charged with, informed they will be reported for or convicted of an offence and they apply only in respect of recordable offences. Since section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 does not create an offence, there are no legal powers to take a DNA sample in these circumstances.

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were required to attend a police station to provide fingerprints and photographs after being found guilty under section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 in (a) Wales and (b) England in (i) 2001, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2003. [162182]

The powers under sections 27 and 61 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) 1984, (as amended), to take fingerprints without consent from convicted persons are restricted to persons who have been convicted for a recordable offence.

Recordable offences are those which have to be recorded on the Police National Computer to form part of a person's criminal record. They are set out in the National Police records (Recordable Offences) Regulations 2000 (SI 2000 No 1139) (as amended). They include convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings given in respect of an offence punishable with imprisonment and any offence specified in the Schedule to the regulations.

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Under section 64A(1) of PACE, a constable or designated person may photograph a person detained at a police station with or without that person's consent. Where there are reasonable grounds for suspecting the involvement of a person in a criminal offence, but that person is at a police station voluntarily and not detained, there are no powers to take fingerprints or photograph that person without consent.

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were required to provide fingerprints and photographs when attending a police station in connection with a possible offence relating to section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 in (a) Wales and (b) England in (i) 2001, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2003. [162183]

Mr. Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful prosecutions were carried out under section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 in (a) Wales and (b) England in (i) 2001, (ii) 2002 and (iii) 2003. [162184]

Ms Blears: Defendants proceeded against and those convicted of offences under Section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 are grouped together with those dealt with for offences under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1989 in the information collected centrally and cannot be separately identified.

The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates' courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under these two statutes, for England and Wales separately for 2001 and 2002 is contained in the table.

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Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts' and found guilty at all courts under section 2 of the Dogs Act 1871 and the Dangerous Dogs Act 1989, England and Wales 2001 and 2002⁽²³⁾

Proceeded against Found guilty

2001

England 306 76

Wales 69 25

Total 375 101

2002

England 279 84

Wales 57 21

Total 336 105

	Proceeded against	Found guilty
2001
England	306	76
Wales	69	25
Total	375	101
2002
England	279	84
Wales	57	21
Total	336	105

⁽²³⁾ These data are on the principal offence basis.

Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the Autumn.

Domestic Violence

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much public funding has been provided to front-line domestic violence agencies in Crosby since 1997. [160385]

Mr. Blunkett: This information is not available. However, Crosby falls under the remit of Sefton's Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership.

Since April 2003 the Home Department has allocated £62,600 to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. In November 2003, £17,600 from this funding was provided to aid front-line domestic violence agencies in Sefton. The funding will run until March 2006.

Drug Abuse (Avon and Somerset)

Mr. Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent in the Avon and Somerset police force area in 2003–04 to combat drug abuse. [161867]

Caroline Flint: Financial information is not maintained in a form that shows the proportion of mainstream funding allocated specifically to combating drug misuse in the Avon and Somerset police force area. However, information is available on the levels of funding allocated to Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs), Drug Action Teams (DATs) and Basic Command Units (BCUs). The rounded figures are as follows:

CDRPs—£1.45 million (out of £2.09 million Building Safer

Communities Funding)

DATs—£6.57 million

BCD funding:

£1.3 million to deliver the Criminal Justice Interventions Programme

£1.7 million to support delivery of locally determined action to combat drug misuse

Emergency Services (Attacks)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many attacks on (a) police officers and (b) fire officers there were in (i) Greater London and (ii) each London borough in each of the last 10 years; [159222]

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(a)

(b)

(3) how many violent crimes against people were committed in (a) Greater London and (b) each London borough in each year since 1997. [159224]

Ms Blears: The offence of 'Assault on a constable' was added to the recorded crime series from April 1998. The available published figures at police force area level are given in the table. A greater breakdown of recorded crime figures for 2002–03 by local authority, police force and region is given on the Home Office website at www.crimestatistics.org.uk/output/Page1.asp.

The numbers of assaults on fire officers are not collected by the Home Office.

Number of assaults on a constable offences in Greater London (Metropolitan police and City of London)

Offences recorded

1998–99 1,636

1999–2000 1,438

2000–01 1,397

	Offences recorded
1998–99	1,636
1999–2000	1,438
2000–01	1,397

Note:

Footnotes are in violent crime table.

The Metropolitan police recorded 72,237 offences of Burglary in a dwelling, and 41,190 offences of Burglary in a building other than a dwelling, in the period April 2002 to March 2003, amounting to a total recorded burglary offence figure of 113,427.

A related collection, of numbers of recorded burglaries in dwellings, has been collected and published by Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) area for financial years since 1999–2000. In the Metropolitan police area, CDRP areas equate to boroughs. The requested figures are given in the table.

Table 1: Numbers of burglary dwelling offences recorded by the Metropolitan police at CDRP level

Borough/CDRP Burglary dwelling, offences recorded 2002–03

Barking and Dagenham 1,262

Barnet 2,607

Bexley 1,241

Brent 2,804

Bromley 1,923

Camden 3,348

City of Westminster 2,110

Croydon 2,769

Baling 2,912

Enfield 2,864

Greenwich 1,875

Hackney 3,646

Hammersmith and Fulham 2,186

Haringey 3,403

Harrow 1,952

Havering 1,058

Heathrow Airport 1

Hillingdon 2,023

Hounslow 1,968

Islington 3,083

Kensington and Chelsea 1,652

Kingston upon Thames 606

Lambeth 4,410

Lewisham 2,743

Merton 1,048

Newham 2,012

Redbridge 1,757

Richmond upon Thames 1,295

Southwark 3,141

Sutton 778

Tower Hamlets 2,114

Waltham Forest 2,559

Wandsworth 3,087

Borough/CDRP	Burglary dwelling, offences recorded 2002–03
Barking and Dagenham	1,262
Barnet	2,607
Bexley	1,241
Brent	2,804
Bromley	1,923
Camden	3,348
City of Westminster	2,110
Croydon	2,769
Baling	2,912
Enfield	2,864
Greenwich	1,875
Hackney	3,646
Hammersmith and Fulham	2,186
Haringey	3,403
Harrow	1,952
Havering	1,058
Heathrow Airport	1
Hillingdon	2,023
Hounslow	1,968
Islington	3,083
Kensington and Chelsea	1,652
Kingston upon Thames	606
Lambeth	4,410
Lewisham	2,743
Merton	1,048
Newham	2,012
Redbridge	1,757
Richmond upon Thames	1,295
Southwark	3,141
Sutton	778
Tower Hamlets	2,114
Waltham Forest	2,559
Wandsworth	3,087

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The available convictions data is given in the table.

Table 2: Number of offenders⁽²⁴⁾ found guilty, sentenced and sentenced to a non-custodial or custodial sentence for burglary at magistrates' courts in Greater London⁽²⁵⁾, including those found guilty and sentenced at the Crown court where these courts are the committing court, 2002Sentence breakdown

Found guilty Sentenced Non-custodial Custodial

Inner London magistrates courts⁽²⁵⁾

Bow Street 136 118 50 68

Camberwell Green/ Tower Bridge 562 489 198 291

Greenwich/Woolwich 212 173 50 123

Guildhall Justice Rooms 45 49 24 25

Highbury Corner 358 276 97 179

Horseferry Road 217 192 61 131

Marylebone 3 4 3 1

South Western 333 310 149 161

Thames 432 392 190 202

West London 312 272 130 142

Outer London boroughs

Barking and Dagenham 95 89 48 41

Barnet 90 72 42 30

Barnet 43 47 19 28

Bexley 71 62 34 28

Brent 159 132 45 87

Bromley 95 87 39 48

Croydon 171 150 66 84

Eating 178 155 67 88

Enfield 164 144 81 63

Haringey 154 139 64 75

Harrow 82 68 39 29

Havering 73 66 34 32

Hillingdon 84 78 51 27

Hounslow 127 109 54 55

Kingston-upon-Thames 69 64 33 31

Merlon 95 87 37 50

Newham 195 176 99 77

Redbridge 124 118 44 74

Richmond-upon-Thames 91 76 42 34

Sutton 77 73 43 30

Waltham Forest 155 137 58 79

Total 5,002 4,404 1,991 2,413

	Found guilty	Sentenced	Non-custodial	Custodial
Inner London magistrates courts⁽²⁵⁾
Bow Street	136	118	50	68
Camberwell Green/ Tower Bridge	562	489	198	291
Greenwich/Woolwich	212	173	50	123
Guildhall Justice Rooms	45	49	24	25
Highbury Corner	358	276	97	179
Horseferry Road	217	192	61	131
Marylebone	3	4	3	1
South Western	333	310	149	161
Thames	432	392	190	202
West London	312	272	130	142
Outer London boroughs
Barking and Dagenham	95	89	48	41
Barnet	90	72	42	30
Barnet	43	47	19	28
Bexley	71	62	34	28
Brent	159	132	45	87
Bromley	95	87	39	48
Croydon	171	150	66	84
Eating	178	155	67	88
Enfield	164	144	81	63
Haringey	154	139	64	75
Harrow	82	68	39	29
Havering	73	66	34	32
Hillingdon	84	78	51	27
Hounslow	127	109	54	55
Kingston-upon-Thames	69	64	33	31
Merlon	95	87	37	50
Newham	195	176	99	77
Redbridge	124	118	44	74
Richmond-upon-Thames	91	76	42	34
Sutton	77	73	43	30
Waltham Forest	155	137	58	79
Total	5,002	4,404	1,991	2,413

⁽²⁴⁾ These data are on the principal offence basis

⁽²⁵⁾ Information held centrally does not allow a breakdown of cases by borough in the Inner London area

The numbers of recorded violent crimes in the Greater London area in each year since 1997 are given in the table. Violent crime is composed of offences of violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery. It should be noted that both the change in counting rules for recorded on 1 April 1998, and the adoption of the National Crime Recording Standard on 1 April 2002, had the effect of inflating the number of crimes recorded, particularly for crimes of violence against the person.

Number of violent offences in Greater London (including City of London)

Number of recordedviolent crimes

1997 87,634

1998–99⁽²⁶⁾ ⁽²⁶⁾166,551

1999–2000 202,981

2000–01 205,632

2001–02 225,522

2002–03⁽²⁷⁾ 232,732⁽²⁷⁾

	Number of recordedviolent crimes
1997	87,634
1998–99⁽²⁶⁾	⁽²⁶⁾166,551
1999–2000	202,981
2000–01	205,632
2001–02	225,522
2002–03⁽²⁷⁾	232,732⁽²⁷⁾

⁽²⁶⁾ There was a change of counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which had the effect of increasing the number of crimes counted. Numbers of offences for years before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.

⁽²⁷⁾ The Metropolitan police and City of London forces introduced the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002. Broadly, the NCRS had the effect of increasing the number of crimes recorded by the police. This has impacted particularly in violent crime. Therefore, following the introduction of the Standard, numbers of recorded crimes are directly comparable with previous years.

23 Mar 2004 : Column 784W

Numbers of violent crimes are also collected at CDRP level. The available information is given in the table.

Table 3: Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships from April 1999 to March 2003 London Region: Violent crime = Violence against the person, Sexual offences and Robbery

Total violent crime: Total offences recorded

CDRP Family CDRP Force 1999–2000⁽²⁸⁾ 2000–01⁽²⁹⁾ 2001–02⁽²⁹⁾ 2002–03⁽²⁹⁾ ^, ⁽³⁰⁾

1 City of London London, City of 595 605 678 1,007

6 Barking and Dagenham Metropolitan Police 3,910 4,545 5,013 5,329

3 Bamet Metropolitan Police 5,364 5,835 6,422 6,597

8 Bexley Metropolitan Police 3,595 3,815 4,062 4,098

2 Brent Metropolitan Police 7,758 8,055 8,381 8,379

8 Bromley Metropolitan Police 3,908 4,671 4,992 5,670

1 Camden Metropolitan Police 7,282 7,551 8,328 7,935

1 City of Westminster Metropolitan Police 12,200 11,397 12,269 12,352

3 Croydon Metropolitan Police 7,276 8,287 8,685 9,957

2 Ealing Metropolitan Police 8,715 8,284 9,448 9,325

3 Enfield Metropolitan Police 5,274 6,217 6,665 6,964

2 Greenwich Metropolitan Police 7,054 7,120 7,368 7,954

2 Hackney Metropolitan Police 9,469 8,966 10,081 9,646

3 Hammersmith and Fulham Metropolitan Police 5,780 5,498 5,845 5,856

2 Haringey Metropolitan Police 7,313 7,973 8,206 8,123

3 Harrow Metropolitan Police 3,102 3,147 3,668 3,573

8 Havering Metropolitan Police 3,046 3,337 3,947 4,558

3 Hillingdon Metropolitan Police 4,338 4,773 5,679 5,847

3 Hounslow Metropolitan Police 6,060 6,398 7,119 8,372

2 Islington Metropolitan Police 7,350 7,218 7,673 8,436

3 Kensington and Chelsea Metropolitan Police 4,304 4,444 4,443 4,450

3 Kingston upon Thames Metropolitan Police 2,713 2,860 3,138 3,312

2 Lambeth Metropolitan Police 12,167 13,156 15,241 13,752

2 Lewisham Metropolitan Police 6,722 7,250 7,856 7,795

3 Merton Metropolitan Police 3,358 3,447 3,974 4,322

2 Newham Metropolitan Police 9,344 9,784 10,383 10,679

3 Redbridge Metropolitan Police 4,453 4,847 5,182 5,892

3 Richmond upon Thames Metropolitan Police 2,375 2,321 2,580 2,942

2 Southwark Metropolitan Police 9,943 10,048 11,284 10,898

8 Sutton Metropolitan Police 2,469 2,393 2,905 3,476

2 Tower Hamlets Metropolitan Police 7,292 8,105 8,854 9,777

3 Waltham Forest Metropolitan Police 5,755 6,332 7,424 7,506

3 Wandsworth Metropolitan Police 6,798 6,580 7,314 7,510

Heathrow⁽³¹⁾ Metropolitan Police n/a n/a 393 403

				Total violent crime: Total offences recorded
CDRP Family	CDRP	Force	1999–2000⁽²⁸⁾	2000–01⁽²⁹⁾	2001–02⁽²⁹⁾	2002–03⁽²⁹⁾ ^, ⁽³⁰⁾


1	City of London	London, City of	595	605	678	1,007
6	Barking and Dagenham	Metropolitan Police	3,910	4,545	5,013	5,329
3	Bamet	Metropolitan Police	5,364	5,835	6,422	6,597
8	Bexley	Metropolitan Police	3,595	3,815	4,062	4,098
2	Brent	Metropolitan Police	7,758	8,055	8,381	8,379
8	Bromley	Metropolitan Police	3,908	4,671	4,992	5,670
1	Camden	Metropolitan Police	7,282	7,551	8,328	7,935
1	City of Westminster	Metropolitan Police	12,200	11,397	12,269	12,352
3	Croydon	Metropolitan Police	7,276	8,287	8,685	9,957
2	Ealing	Metropolitan Police	8,715	8,284	9,448	9,325
3	Enfield	Metropolitan Police	5,274	6,217	6,665	6,964
2	Greenwich	Metropolitan Police	7,054	7,120	7,368	7,954
2	Hackney	Metropolitan Police	9,469	8,966	10,081	9,646
3	Hammersmith and Fulham	Metropolitan Police	5,780	5,498	5,845	5,856
2	Haringey	Metropolitan Police	7,313	7,973	8,206	8,123
3	Harrow	Metropolitan Police	3,102	3,147	3,668	3,573
8	Havering	Metropolitan Police	3,046	3,337	3,947	4,558
3	Hillingdon	Metropolitan Police	4,338	4,773	5,679	5,847
3	Hounslow	Metropolitan Police	6,060	6,398	7,119	8,372
2	Islington	Metropolitan Police	7,350	7,218	7,673	8,436
3	Kensington and Chelsea	Metropolitan Police	4,304	4,444	4,443	4,450
3	Kingston upon Thames	Metropolitan Police	2,713	2,860	3,138	3,312
2	Lambeth	Metropolitan Police	12,167	13,156	15,241	13,752
2	Lewisham	Metropolitan Police	6,722	7,250	7,856	7,795
3	Merton	Metropolitan Police	3,358	3,447	3,974	4,322
2	Newham	Metropolitan Police	9,344	9,784	10,383	10,679
3	Redbridge	Metropolitan Police	4,453	4,847	5,182	5,892
3	Richmond upon Thames	Metropolitan Police	2,375	2,321	2,580	2,942
2	Southwark	Metropolitan Police	9,943	10,048	11,284	10,898
8	Sutton	Metropolitan Police	2,469	2,393	2,905	3,476
2	Tower Hamlets	Metropolitan Police	7,292	8,105	8,854	9,777
3	Waltham Forest	Metropolitan Police	5,755	6,332	7,424	7,506
3	Wandsworth	Metropolitan Police	6,798	6,580	7,314	7,510
	Heathrow⁽³¹⁾	Metropolitan Police	n/a	n/a	393	403

⁽²⁸⁾ CDRP total may differ from police force area total due to the boundary change on 1 April 2000, whereby the Metropolitan police ceded parts of it area to three surrounding forces (Hertfordshire, Essex and Surrey).

⁽²⁹⁾ Total CDRP data may not tally exactly with published totals for police force areas. This is due to a variety of reasons, mainly related to the procedures used to calculate the CDRP figures.

⁽³⁰⁾ The Metropolitan police and City of London forces introduced the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002. Broadly the NCRS had the effect of increasing the number of crimes recorded by the police. This has impacted particularly in violent crime. Therefore, following the introduction of the standard, numbers of recorded crimes are not directly comparable with previous years.

⁽³¹⁾ Heathrow was added to the CDRP series from April 2001, and is currently un-assigned to a family.

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