§ Mr. Greg KnightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the statistics of crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales in 1987 will be published; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HurdThe statistics of notifiable offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in 1987 are published today in Home Office statistical bulletin 6/88. I have placed copies in the Library. The total number of crimes recorded in 1987 was 3.9 million, a rise of 1 per cent. over 1986. This compares with an average rise of about 6 per cent. per year since the mid-1950s.
A total of 3.7 million of these crimes were against property. There was a welcome fall in the number of burglaries in dwellings (down 5 per cent. to 483,000), especially in some of the large cities; and in thefts of motor vehicles (down by 5 per cent. to 390,000). These falls show that rising crime is not inevitable and should spur us on to a greater effort in preventing crime.
The Government view with concern the continuing rise in violent crime, which, by its nature, is less easily prevented. The more successful we are in preventing crimes against property, the more time is available for the police to devote to dealing with the most serious crimes. In 1987, the police clear-up rate for crimes of violence against the person rose from 71 per cent. to 75 per cent., and for more serious offences of violence against the person from 73 per cent. to 78 per cent. Overall, the clear-up rate rose from 32 to 33 per cent.