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5 Nov 2008 : Column 610W—continued
Mr. Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many incidents of violence against the person involving a knife were recorded (a) in total and (b) per 1,000 of the population for (i) England, (ii) the Avon and Somerset Constabulary area and (iii) Bath and North East Somerset in each year from 1997 to 2008; [231455]
(2) how many incidents of violence against the person where a fatality has occurred as a result of a knife wound were recorded (a) in total and (b) per 1,000 of the population for (i) England, (ii) the Avon and Somerset Constabulary area and (iii) Bath and North East Somerset in each year from 1997 to 2008. [231459]
Mr. Alan Campbell: Available data on serious offences involving knives and sharp instruments are available only for England and Avon and Somerset relating to 2007-08, and are given in table A.
The number of homicides involving sharp instruments recorded from 1997-98 up to and including 2006-07 is shown in table B.
Data collected centrally for both of these data series cannot be broken down lower than police force area level.
| Table A: Number of serious( 1) offences involving a knife or sharp instrument, recorded by the police, and offences per 100,000 population-.England and Avon and Somerset, 2007-08 | ||
| Total of selected serious offences( 2) | Offences per 100,000 population | |
| (1) Other offences exist that are not included in this table that may include the use of knife or sharp instrument. ‘Offences involving a knife’ refers to the use of a knife or sharp instrument. (2)( )Total selected serious offences only included in the: attempted murder, wounding with intent to do GBH, wounding or inflicting GBH i.e. without intent, robbery of business property and robbery of personal property. | ||
| Table B: Offences currently recorded as homicides( 1) where a sharp instrument( 2) was used and there is a current suspect, 1997-98 to 2006-07( 3, 4) | ||||
| England | Avon and Somerset | |||
| Number of offences | Offences per 100,000 population | Number of offences | Offences per 100,000 population | |
| (1)( )As at 12 November 2007;figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts or as further information becomes available. (2) Homicides involving any sharp instrument, including knives. (3) Offences are shown according to the year in which the police initially recorded the offence as homicide. This is not necessarily the year in which the incident took place or the year in which any court decision was made. (4) Data for 2007-08 are scheduled to be published in January 2009. | ||||
Offensive Weapons: Retail Trade
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance she issues to businesses which sell knives and blades (a) over the internet and (b) through catalogues on compliance with the requirements of (i) section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and (ii) the Offensive Weapons Act 1996. [232516]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 3 November 2008]: In November 2007 the Home Office issued guidance to retailers on compliance with section 141A of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 which made it illegal from 1 October 2007 to sell knives and certain articles with a blade or point to anyone under the age of 18. The ban applies to sales over the internet and through catalogues.
Mr. Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will examine the adequacy of controls on the advertising and sale of souvenir knives, blades and axes (a) over the internet and (b) through catalogues; and if she will make a statement. [232520]
Mr. Alan Campbell [holding answer 3 November 2008]: The laws that control the advertising and sale of knives and blades apply to the internet and catalogue sales as they do to advertising and sale through any other retail outlet. The Government are committed to working with all businesses to ensure that they comply with the law and to encourage tight controls, particularly on issues like age-verification.
Police: Bureaucracy
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of their time police officers spent on average (a) completing paperwork and (b) on patrol in each of the last five years. [231496]
Mr. Coaker: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Bury St. Edmunds (Mr. Ruffley) on 10 December 2007, Official Report, column 91W. Information for 2007-08 will be published shortly on the Home Office website, as part of the release of information relating to police performance 2007-08.
Police: CCTV
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward proposals to reimburse all or part of the costs to local authorities of installing CCTV technologies used by the police. [232154]
Mr. Alan Campbell: The Government have no plans to provide further funding for local authorities to install CCTV. Much of the CCTV currently in place in town centres was funded by the Government through the Crime Reduction Programme between 1999 and 2003, which provided £170 million across England and Wales.
Police: Ethnic Groups
Chris Huhne:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of police officers at the rank of (a) constable, (b) sergeant, (c) inspector, (d) chief inspector, (e)
superintendent, (f) chief superintendent and (g) Association of Chief Police Officer ranks were from an ethnic minority background in each year since 1997, broken down by police force. [227461]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 21 October 2008]: The available data are given in the tables placed in the House Library.
The requested data are also published as part of the annual Police Service Strength England and Wales Statistical Bulletin. The 2008 bulletin can be found at:
and previous years' bulletins are available in the House of Commons Library. The annual Home Secretary's Race Employment Targets report may also be of interest in relation to the question asked:
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of police officers recruited into each force in each year since 1997 were from an ethnic minority background. [227463]
Jacqui Smith [holding answer 21 October 2008]: The available data are given in the following table.
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