24 Apr 2008 : Column 2232W—continued
Courts: Limavady
Mr. Gregory Campbell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for the future of Limavady Courthouse; and what complaints have been received from users of the courthouse in the last 12 months. [201354]
Bridget Prentice:
There have been no complaints regarding the service provided at Limavady Courthouse over the last 12 months.
The Northern Ireland Court Service is developing proposals to establish ‘hearing centres’ at a number of court venues including Limavady Courthouse. Hearing centres would open on court sitting days and court office services would be available only on those days.
During 2007 Limavady Courthouse had on average one court sitting each week and a recent survey indicated that on average two people per day visited the court office.
The proposals to introduce hearing centres are intended to make more efficient use of court resources. These proposals will be subject to full public consultation before any final decisions are made.
Crime
Mr. Amess:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the 10 most common (a) offences and (b) motoring offences were for which (i) men and (ii) women of each age group were (A) prosecuted, (B) convicted, (C) fined and (D) sent to prison in (1) Essex and (2) England and Wales in the last year for which figures are available. [198675]
Maria Eagle:
Data showing the number of defendants proceeded against for the 10 most common offences in England and Wales and Essex, broken down by result, sex and age group are shown in the tables A1 and A2 as follows.
Available information on motoring offences for 2005 (latest available) is provided in the following tables B1 and B2. The data are based on the 10 most common offences proceeded against. Some of these cover more than one offence where the data reported centrally do not identify them separately. Data for 2006 will be available later this year.
| Table A1: 10 most common offences proceeded against at the magistrates courts by result at all courts, sex and age-group for Essex police force area, 2006( 1, 2) |
| Number of offences |
| | | | | Male |
| | | | All persons | Aged 10-17 | Aged 18 and over |
| | No. | Offence description | Total proceedings | Total proceedings | Total findings of guilt | Fined | Immediate custody | Total proceedings | Total findings of guilt | Fined | Immediate custody |
|
17000
|
1
|
Motor vehicle licences; failure to pay appropriate duty.
|
4,521
|
1
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
3,604
|
3,151
|
3,119
|
—
|
|
19101
|
2
|
Television licence evasion.
|
3,112
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
—
|
1,126
|
951
|
949
|
—
|
|
16901
|
3
|
Offences in relation to railways
|
2,700
|
39
|
22
|
14
|
—
|
2,206
|
1,822
|
1,796
|
6
|
|
10501
|
4
|
Common assault & battery.
|
2,322
|
361
|
289
|
2
|
15
|
1,583
|
1,053
|
87
|
238
|
|
4600
|
5
|
Stealing from shops & stalls.
|
1,871
|
219
|
206
|
16
|
8
|
1,131
|
1,044
|
258
|
320
|
|
8301
|
6
|
Failing to surrender to bail
|
1,263
|
88
|
41
|
4
|
—
|
980
|
405
|
206
|
72
|
|
14900
|
7
|
Criminal damage, value £5,000 or less.
|
1,091
|
338
|
275
|
5
|
1
|
662
|
527
|
147
|
42
|
24 Apr 2008 : Column 2233W
24 Apr 2008 : Column 2234W
|
12512
|
8
|
Harassment, alarm & distress.
|
632
|
110
|
80
|
21
|
—
|
416
|
347
|
256
|
—
|
|
11606
|
9
|
Contravening the law relating to the regulation and control of fishing for salmon, trout, freshwater fish and eels etc.
|
533
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
531
|
507
|
496
|
—
|
|
17200
|
10
|
Other offences against revenue law (excluding failure to pay appropriate duty on motor vehicle licences).
|
515
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
355
|
264
|
264
|
—
|
| | |
Total
|
18,560
|
1,157
|
914
|
63
|
24
|
12,594
|
10,071
|
7,578
|
678
|
| Number of offences |
| | | | Female |
| | | | Aged 10-17 | Aged 18 and over |
| | No. | Offence description | Total proceedings | Total findings of guilt | Fined | Immediate custody | Total proceedings | Total findings of guilt | Fined | Immediate custody |
|
17000
|
1
|
Motor vehicle licences; failure to pay appropriate duty.
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
916
|
790
|
779
|
—
|
|
19101
|
2
|
Television licence evasion.
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
—
|
1,984
|
1,749
|
1,747
|
—
|
|
16901
|
3
|
Offences in relation to railways
|
11
|
10
|
8
|
—
|
444
|
359
|
357
|
—
|
|
10501
|
4
|
Common assault & battery.
|
127
|
104
|
—
|
1
|
251
|
168
|
6
|
17
|
|
4600
|
5
|
Stealing from shops & stalls.
|
96
|
88
|
2
|
1
|
425
|
377
|
64
|
90
|
|
8301
|
6
|
Failing to surrender to bail
|
13
|
6
|
1
|
—
|
182
|
74
|
41
|
9
|
|
14900
|
7
|
Criminal damage, value £5,000 or less.
|
37
|
33
|
—
|
—
|
54
|
38
|
7
|
1
|
|
12512
|
8
|
Harassment, alarm & distress.
|
35
|
28
|
5
|
—
|
71
|
59
|
37
|
—
|
|
11606
|
9
|
Contravening the law relating to the regulation and control of fishing for salmon, trout, freshwater fish and eels etc.
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
2
|
2
|
2
|
—
|
|
17200
|
10
|
Other offences against revenue law (excluding failure to pay appropriate duty on motor vehicle licences).
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
160
|
112
|
112
|
—
|
| | |
Total
|
320
|
270
|
17
|
2
|
4,489
|
3,728
|
3,152
|
117
|
(1) The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
(2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
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