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9 July 2008 : Column 1614W—continued


Number given custodial sentences
Sentence length 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

0-6 months

361

447

540

500

545

582

701

666

739

717

654

6-12 months

30

39

35

39

38

36

60

65

60

85

88

12-18 months

9

15

9

6

10

14

19

18

13

15

27

18-24 months

1

8

4

8

4

4

6

7

6

11

13

2-3 years

1

2

2

1

4

1

5

7

3

2

6

3-4 years

2

3

1

1

1

1

4+ years

(1)1

(1)2


Percentage given custodial sentences
Sentence length 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

0-6 months

10.4

10.8

12.3

12.0

13.2

11.9

12.8

12.3

12.8

12.5

11.5

6-12 months

0.9

0.9

0.8

0.9

0.9

0.7

1.1

1.2

1.0

1.5

1.6

12-18 months

0.3

0.4

0.2

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.3

0.3

0.2

0.3

0.5

18-24 months

0.0

0.2

0.1

0.2

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.2

0.2

2-3 years

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.1

0.0

0.1

0.1

0.1

0.0

0.1

3-4 years

0.0

0.1

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

4+ years

0.0

0.0

0.0 = Less than 0.1 per cent.
(1) Indeterminate sentence for public protection.
Notes:
1. These data are based on offences under the Criminal Justice Act 1988 of possession of an offensive weapon on school premises and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place.
2. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system.
Source:
NOMS Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice.

Mr. Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of people convicted of encouraging violent behaviour involving the use of a knife under the Knives Act 1997 received (a) a fine and (b) a custodial sentence of (i) less than six months, (ii) six to 12 months, (iii) 12 to 18 months and (iv) 18 to 24 months in each year since the Act was introduced. [217120]

Mr. Straw: The following tables show the number of people sentenced under the Knives Act 1997 for encouraging or promoting the use of knives in combat or for violence and the numbers and percentage that received (a) a fine and (b) a custodial sentence and the length of that custodial sentence in the last five years.

Number of persons sentenced and percentage given fines and immediate custody for encouraging violent behaviour involving the use of a knife 1996—2006

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

Number sentenced

0

1

2

0

2

0

2

0

1

1

3

Number given fines

0

1

1

0

2

0

1

0

0

1

0

Percentage given fines

100

50

100

50

100

Number given immediate custody

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

Percentage given immediate custody

66.6


Lengths of custodial sentence—numbers and percentage sentenced
Number sentenced

Sentence length

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

0—6 months

2

6—12 Months

12—18 Months

18—24 Months

2—3 Years

3—4 Years

4+ Years


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