§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been for offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, for each police force area for each year since its implementation. [4624]
§ Mr. Michael[holding answer 24 June 1997]: The information on these offences, which involve offences against wild, captive and protected animals, birds and plants, is given in the table:
587W
Number of prosecutions under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, 1982–1995 England and Wales Police Force area 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 Devon and Cornwall 1 — 1 2 — 1 — — 1 3 — 1 1 4 Dorset — 1 3 — — — — — — — 2 1 — 1 Durham 9 8 5 12 8 3 4 4 4 9 2 — 2 — Essex — 3 — 8 1 1 1 2 5 3 10 4 2 — Gloucestershire 1 — 1 — — — 4 — 10 1 1 3 — 1 Greater Manchester — — — — — — — — 3 4 9 1 1 — Hampshire — 2 4 4 1 2 2 3 5 5 1 6 2 2 Hertfordshire — 2 3 2 2 1 — 1 3 — 3 — — 2 Humberside 6 3 2 4 — 5 5 2 1 — 1 1 1 3 Kent — 1 — — 5 — 1 1 1 4 2 5 — 1 Lancashire — — 1 — — — — — 5 6 1 8 1 7 Leicestershire 4 3 2 2 2 2 6 2 1 4 2 1 4 — Lincolnshire 5 2 1 5 4 5 4 — 1 1 — 4 2 — Merseyside — — — — — 1 — — 1 4 4 8 6 3 Metropolitan Police1 27 33 41 32 25 17 36 30 34 6 12 22 46 40 Norfolk — — 1 4 — 1 4 5 7 3 3 2 4 2 Northamptonshire 3 1 4 — 4 2 1 4 1 1 — 1 1 — Northumbria 11 2 10 48 3 7 1 2 9 8 6 2 8 8 North Yorkshire 6 4 2 5 1 1 1 10 3 3 2 7 3 2 Nottinghamshire 3 8 5 5 4 3 2 3 4 4 — 7 4 3 South Yorkshire 7 2 9 3 1 2 1 6 4 4 1 4 3 1 Staffordshire 11 6 13 9 13 11 3 9 3 6 2 6 3 16 Suffolk — — — 2 — — — — 6 2 — 2 — 1 Surrey 1 — 1 2 1 — — — 2 1 3 2 — — Sussex — — — — — — — — 2 3 — 2 6 2 Thames Valley 2 1 2 2 2 — 3 1 3 — 3 2 2 3 Warwickshire 5 9 6 14 14 7 11 2 — 1 2 — 1 1 West Mercia 8 5 3 11 1 3 5 7 2 5 3 4 4 6 West Midlands 9 6 18 6 5 5 6 3 10 5 5 — — 6 West Yorkshire 4 5 3 5 4 4 — 6 — — 4 2 1 1 Wiltshire 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 2 — 2 — — 5 2 Dyfed Powys 2 4 5 12 6 3 6 1 3 2 2 — — 1 Gwent 10 9 11 8 11 10 5 8 1 1 2 3 4 — North Wales 2 10 6 7 16 3 5 9 4 7 1 5 4 2 South Wales 2 1 5 5 4 — 5 8 6 4 5 2 1 7 England and Wales 148 141 183 228 155 109 134 139 159 121 105 135 130 137 1Includes City of London. From 1990 onwards prosecutions for offences committed under Section 13 of the Act (protection of wild plants) are not included as they are not identifiable from other summary offences.