§ Mr. Lawrenceasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in the reduction of crime since 1981 in (a) England and (b) Wales.
§ Mr. MellorThe following table shows for England and Wales the number of notifiable offences recorded by the police in 1981 and 1982; the number of notifiable offences recorded by the police in the first three quarters of 1982 and 1983; and in each case the percentage change from one year to the next. Figures for the whole of 1983 will be published shortly in a Home Office "Statistical Bulletin".
Notifiable offences recorded by the police England Wales 1981 2,821,000 142,000 1982 3,105,000 157,000 Percentage change from 1981–82 +10 +11 1 January to 30 September 1982 2,295,000 117,000 1 January to 30 September 1983 2,283,000 120,000 Percentage change from 1982–83 -1 +2 Early indications are that the levelling of the figures evident in the first three quarters of last year will have been sustained. A single year's figures must be treated with caution, but this is welcome news.