---

22 July 2008 : Column 1232W—continued

22 July 2008 : Column 1233W

22 July 2008 : Column 1234W

22 July 2008 : Column 1235W

22 July 2008 : Column 1236W

Number of persons and average length of sentence (months)
		Aged over 18
Offence description	Year	Total sentenced	Immediate custody	Percentage total sentenced	Average custodial sentence length( 2)
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse	1997	3,170	465	14.7	4.3
Having an article with a blade or point in a public place		2,627	334	12.7	2.4
Having an article with a blade or point on school premises		12	2	16.7	2.5
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises		15	2	13.3	2.5
Total all above offences		5,824	803	13.8	3.5
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse	1998	3,343	522	15.6	3.8
Having an article with a blade or point in a public place		3,008	498	16.6	2.6
Having an article with a blade or point on school premises		7	—	—	—
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises		11	4	36.4	8.2
Total all above offences		6,369	1,024	16.1	3.3
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse	1999	3,116	475	15.2	4.1
Having an article with a blade or point in a public place		2,784	481	17.3	2.6
Having an article with a blade or point on school premises		9	2	22.2	2.2
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises		11	3	27.3	19.0
Total all above offences		5,920	961	16.2	3.4
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse	2000	2,957	516	17.5	3.9
Having an article with a blade or point in a public place		2,620	447	17.1	2.6
Having an article with a blade or point on school premises		23	5	21.7	2.7
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises		12	6	50.0	6.8
Total all above offences		5,612	974	17.4	3.3
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse	2001	3,372	527	15.6	3.8
Having an article with a blade or point in a public place		3,043	522	17.2	2.6
Having an article with a blade or point on school premises		33	2	6.1	4.0
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises		6	3	50.0	3.3
Total all above offences		6,454	1,054	16.3	3.2
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse	2002	3,966	663	16.7	4.0
Having an article with a blade or point in a public place		3,969	688	17.3	2.8
Having an article with a blade or point on school premises		30	7	23.3	2.1
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises		6	3	50.0	6.0
Total all above offences		7,971	1,361	17.1	3.4
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse	2003	4,021	671	16.7	4.3
Having an article with a blade or point in a public place		4,101	682	16.6	2.8
Having an article with a blade or point on school premises		54	6	11.1	2.9
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises		11	4	36.4	12.0
Total all above offences		8,187	1,363	16.6	3.6
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse	2004	4,152	732	17.6	4.0
Having an article with a blade or point in a public place		4,450	721	16.2	2.9
Having an article with a blade or point on school premises		55	8	14.5	2.0
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises		13	2	15.4	9.0
Total all above offences		8,670	1,463	16.9	3.4
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse	2005	4,110	705	17.2	4.3
Having an article with a blade or point in a public place		4,540	872	19.2	3.1
Having an article with a blade or point on school premises		11	4	36.4	5.8
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises		5	3	60.0	5.0
Total all above offences		8,666	1,584	18.3	3.7
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse	2006	4,000	674	16.9	5.0
Having an article with a blade or point in a public place		4,703	959	20.4	7.6
Having an article with a blade or point on school premises		16	5	31.3	5.3
Possession of offensive weapons without lawful authority or reasonable excuse on school premises		7	3	42.9
Total all above offences		8,726	1,641	18.8	4.0
(1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Months. Excludes life and indeterminate sentences. (3) Will include knives, but information collected centrally does not provide a distinction between them and other offensive weapons. Notes: 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: OMS Analytical Services

---