§ Mr. Nichollsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he proposes to take in the light of the suggestion by the Court of Appeal in a recent judgment that it should be given wider powers to order a retrial.
450W
Offences recorded by the police 1983 to 1985 Police force area Number of offences recorded in the years 1983. 1984 and 1985
Offences per 100,000 population per year Homicide (excluding attempts) Rape (including attempts) Homicide (excluding attempts) Rape (including attempts) Avon and Somerest 38 103 0.9 2.5 Bedfordshire 22 67 1.4 4.4 Cambridgeshire 13 68 0.7 3.8 Cheshire 24 28 0.9 1.0 Cleveland 19 44 1.1 2.6 Cumbria 8 29 0.6 2.0 Derbyshire 23 60 0.8 2.2 Devon and Cornwall 41 75 1.0 1.8 Dorset 16 42 0.9 2.3 Durham 18 51 1.0 2.8 Essex 42 103 1.0 2.4 Gloucestershire 11 42 0.7 2.8 Greater Manchester 88 201 1.1 2.6 Hampshire 32 160 0.7 3.3 Hertfordshire 17 48 0.7 1.9 Humberside 23 104 0.9 4.1 Kent 52 78 1.2 1.7 Lancashire 48 57 1.2 1.4 Leicestershire 19 37 0.7 1.4 Lincolnshire 9 39 0.5 2.3 Merseyside 40 138 0.9 3.1 Metropolitan Police District and City of London 501 1,254 2.3 5.8 Norfolk 16 47 0.8 2.2 Northamptonshire 22 43 1.4 2.7 Northumbria 62 130 1.4 3.0 North Yorkshire 11 35 0.5 1.7 Nottinghamshire 33 80 1.1 2.7 South Yorkshire 46 131 1.2 3.3 Staffordshire 17 57 0.6 1.9
§ Mr. HurdI have issued to interested organisations in the legal field a consultative paper seeking views on this issue by 17 April. A copy has been placed in the Library and further copies may be obtained from the Home Office.