Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Cannabis and cannabis resin.
2,050
1,470
475
1,525
1,247
420
1,588
993
272
Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in): Cannabis and cannabis resin.
740
522
222
617
456
156
588
393
135
Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: MDMA.
947
746
461
726
603
394
649
557
342
Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in): MDMA.
306
219
127
261
172
100
245
187
91
2006
200 7
Proceeded against
Found guilty
Immediate custody
Proceeded against
Found guilty
Immediate custody
Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: Cannabis and cannabis resin.
1,594
957
240
1,614
958
232
Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in): Cannabis and cannabis resin.
622
385
101
554
367
101
Having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply: MDMA.
582
434
256
592
513
276
Supplying or offering to supply a controlled drug, (or being concerned in): MDMA.
207
169
81
217
169
73
(1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (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. (3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. (4) Following reclassification in January 2004 to a class C drug, statutory maximum penalty for possession of cannabis was downgraded from five to two years. Source:
Office for Criminal Justice Reform-Evidence and Analysis unit
Table 2: The number of defendants found guilty at ail courts and sentenced to immediate custody for unlawful importation of a controlled drug in England and Wales, 1997 to 2007( 1,2,3)
Number of defendants
1997
1998
1999
2000
Found guilty
Immediate custody
Found guilty
Immediate custody
Found guilty
Immediate custody
Found guilty
Immediate custody
Unlawful importation of a drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
1,239
974
1,190
1,032
1,171
1,072
1,165
1,115
21 Oct 2009 : Column 1475W
21 Oct 2009 : Column 1476W
Number of defendants
200 1
2002
2003
2004
Found guilty
Immediate custody
Found guilty
Immediate custody
Found guilty
Immediate custody( 4)
Found guilty
Immediate custody( 4)
Unlawful importation of a drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
1,648
1,511
1,599
1,588
1,063
1,075
975
977
Number of defendants
2005
2006
2007
Found guilty
Immediate custody
Found guilty
Immediate custody
Found guilty
Immediate custody
Unlawful importation of a drug controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971
1,026
979
835
787
783
762
(1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (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. (3) Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates' courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. (4) The immediate custody column exceeds those found guilty, as it may be the case that a defendant was found guilty in one year and sentenced in the following year. Source:
Office for Criminal Justice Reform-Evidence and Analysis unit
Table 3: The number of males and females serving sentences in all prison establishments in England and Wales for drug offences (as at 30 June each year), from 1997 to 2009
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
Males
Immediate custodial sentence
46,611
49,793
48,862
50,434
51,272
53,936
55,919
57,475
58,703
59,898
62,188
64,600
64,993
Drug offences
6,483
7,099
7,294
7,526
8,010
8,749
8,988
9,252
9,427
9,484
9,569
9,992
9,803
Drug offences as percentage of all
14
14
15
15
16
16
16
16
16
16
15
15
15
Females
Immediate custodial sentence
2,063
2,366
2,431
2,659
2,897
3,336
3,474
3,449
3,476
3,506
3,345
3,524
3,382
Drug offences
691
794
875
947
1,137
1,317
1,342
1,235
1,234
1,163
1,044
990
893
Drug offences as percentage of all
33
34
36
36
39
39
39
36
36
33
31
28
26
Source:
Figures taken from Offender Management Caseload Statistics, table 7.2 for 2007 and 2008 up to the year 2008 and from monthly Ministry of Justice Bulletin for June 2009
Electoral Systems: Armed Forces
David Howarth:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many of those serving in HM Armed Forces are not eligible to vote; and for what reasons; [292610]
(2) how many of those serving in HM Armed Forces in Afghanistan will not be eligible to vote in the next general election; and for what reasons; [292611]
(3) what preparations have been made to ensure that those serving in HM Armed Forces in Afghanistan are able to vote in the next UK general election. [292612]
Mr. Wills:
A person is eligible to vote in a parliamentary general election if they are:
aged 18 or over on polling day (a person can register once they are 16 but cannot vote until their 18th birthday);
a British or Commonwealth citizen resident in the UK;
