§ 12. Mr. Corbynasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many victims of violent crime in the Metropolitan police district were women or children aged under 18 years in each of the years since 1977.
§ Mr. MellorThe number of women and young persons under the age of 18 who were victims of offences of violence against the person, rape or robbery was approximately 12,800 in 1983, 13,800 in 1984 and 15,300 in 1985. Figures for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I will, with permission, publish more detailed information for 1983–85 in the form of a table in theOfficial Report.
The detailed figures are as follows:
183W
Victims of offences recorded in the Metropolitan Police District Women* aged 18 or over Children under 18 Violence against the person 1983 3,651 2,889 1984 3,960 3,034 1985 4,264 3,282
Women* aged 18 or over Children under 18 Rape 1983 249 68 1984 294 71 1985 441 129 Roberry 1983 3,604 2,292 1984 4,212 2,266 1985 5,022 2,201 * Includes females of unrecorded age.
§ 22. Ms. Richardsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the information available to his Department indicates the extent to which (a) poor street lighting, (b) vandalised or derelict property, (c) absence of caretakers, park keepers and similar staff, (d) absence of public transport and (e) lack of a telephone are factors contributing to the incidence of crime; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Giles ShawResearch, much of which has been undertaken or commissioned by the Home Office, and experience suggest that each of the factors listed by the hon. Member may have some effect on the incidence of crime in specific localities or at particular times of day. There is, however, no information available nationally to indicate the extent of their contribution to crime levels.
§ 26. Mr. Clellandasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the percentage increase in the number of young people aged under 21 years (a) cautioned for and (b) found guilty of indictable offences, respectively, between 1979 and 1984.
§ Mr. MellorThe increase was 24 per cent. for those cautioned and 5 per cent. for those found guilty.
§ 46. Mr. James Lamondasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the clear-up rate for all crimes in England and Wales in each of the last seven years.
§ Mr. MellorClear-up rates for notifiable offences recorded by the police are published each year in chapter 2 of the Command Paper "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" (table 2.17 of the issue for 1984, Cmnd. 9621) and most recently in a Home Office statistical bulletin (table 5 of issue No. 4/86).
§ 63. Mr. Sedgemoreasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state the increase since 1978 in the total number of crimes of violence against the person committed in the Metropolitan police district for the most recently available year.
§ Mr. MellorPolice recorded 20,200 offences of violence against the person in the Metropolitan police district in 1985—6,000 more than the corresponding figure for 1978. Numbers of offences recorded in the Metropolitan police district are published annually by type of offence in the report of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and in Home Office statistical bulletins (table 6 of issue No. 4/86).