§ Mr. FisherTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for which statistics his Department has discontinued(a) collection and (b) publication of since 1989. [32855]
§ Mr. HowardChanges are made in the collection and publication of statistical series from time to time in response to the Government's requirements for statistical information, and to changes in legislation and administrative systems on which the statistics are based. The main series which have been discontinued since 1989 by the Department are:
1990: discontinued publishing Home Office statistical bulletin "Local Government Elections, England and Wales" to eliminate duplication of published data by the local government chronicle elections centre at the University of Plymouth. 1992: ceased publishing figures on the number of residence permits issued to European Community nationals in Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics, United Kingdom". reduced the collection and publication of statistics on breath tests given to motorists. 1993: statistics on offences of drunkenness published in reduced detail in Command Paper "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales", rather than in a Home Office bulletin, with detailed tables being made available on request. returns on drug seizures and offenders from police in England and Wales replaced by returns on seizures alone, due to more reliable information on court appearances and cautions available from the court appearances returns. 1994: responsibility for the collection and publication of statistics on time intervals for criminal proceedings in magistrates courts and on domestic proceedings in magistrates courts passed to the Lord Chancellor's Department.