§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total value of(a) business frauds, (b) cheque, credit and cash card frauds, (c) thefts from companies, (d) thefts from employees, (e) offences of shoplifting and (f) offences of vandalism against business in the most recent year for which information is available and for each of the previous 10 years.
§ Mr. JackThe only available Home Office statistics on value are for certain types of theft offences, as recorded by the police. Figures for 1981–1990 have been published annually in chapter 2 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—copies of which are available in the Library. For 1991, the total value of property stolen in offences of theft by an employee was £29,848,000. The corresponding figure for offences of theft from shops was £20,902,000.
The Association for Payment Clearing Services (APACS) estimates credit card, cheque and cash card fraud losses by major retail banks at over £165 million in 1991. Corresponding figures for 1988–90 were published in crime prevention unit paper 26 entitled "The Prevention of Cheque and Credit Card Fraud" (also available in the Library). In addition, we have not received detailed accounts of losses to building societies, to finance houses who manage storecards, from fraudulent purchase of goods by phone, and from unguaranteed cheques in excess of the guarantee limit.
However, the British Retail Consortium has estimated that internal and external crime costs the retail industry in the region of £2.5 billion each year.