§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on current trends in the figures for recorded crime.
§ Mr. MacleanFor the 12 months to June 1994, the number of crimes recorded by the police in England and Wales decreased by 5.5 per cent. compared to the previous 12 months.
This is the largest fall over 12 months for 40 years. This will, I hope, reassure the public that recent rises in recorded crime can not only be slowed but actually reversed.
§ Mr. ChapmanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the trends in violent crime.
§ Mr. MacleanBetween 1981 and 1993, violent crime recorded by the police increased at a rate of 6 per cent. per year, compared with an increase in all recorded crime of 5 per cent. per year. In the 12 months to June 1994, 289W violent crime accounted for 6 per cent. of all crimes recorded by the police.
The British crime survey provides an insight into people's experience of crime, whether or not it was reported to the police. The survey suggests that for those offences that can be compared with the police figures, violent crime increased at a rate of less than 3 per cent. per year between 1981 and 1993.
§ Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement explaining the reasons for the reduction in recorded crime.
§ Mr. MacleanWe need to be cautious: recorded crime can be affected by a number of factors. But we are most encouraged by the recent falls in recorded crime.