HC Deb 20 March 1986 vol 94 cc405-6
10. Mr. Hardy

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in his Department's regular statistics of crime details of the sex, age and ethnic origins and occupation of victims of crime.

Mr. Mellor

Unfortunately, we cannot do that because the requisite information is not available to all police forces that provide the data on which the regular statistics are based. But much relevant material drawn from the Britsh crime survey is already published. An ad hoc survey of some of the information from those forces that record it was carried out in 1985, and the main results will be published by the Home Office during 1986.

Mr. Hardy

The Home Secretary was right a few moments ago when he commended the work of the victim support unit, especially at this time of absolutely astonishing and deplorable increases in crime of all kinds, but does the Minister accept that it might be useful if more were known about those who are particularly vulnerable to crime, not merely to assist in the prevention of crime, but to be of some help in determining how offenders are to be treated?

Mr. Mellor

The Government have taken forward the work in that area in a number of ways, most notably by means of the experimental reparation schemes and the increased support that they have given to the victim support movement. I have to remind the hon. Gentleman that no money was given to the victim support movement by previous Governments, although there was a crime level that more than justified a greater interest in victims than previous Governments showed.

Sir Anthony Kershaw

What is the point of knowing the ethnic origins of the victim? Does a Jew not bleed as much?

Mr. Mellor

I am sure that that must be one of the reasons why the information is not collected.