HC Deb 18 March 1997 vol 292 cc494-5W
Mr. Michael Brown

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each police authority in England and Wales the number, and percentage, of people arrested for possession of cannabis who were(a) cautioned, (b) tried in a magistrates court and (c) tried in a higher court in (i) 1990, (ii) 1994 and (iii) the latest available date. [20528]

Mr. Maclean

[holding answer 17 March 1997]: Detailed data on the number of people arrested are not collected centrally.

Information available on the number of people cautioned, proceeded against at magistrates courts and tried at the Crown court for 1994 and 1995 by police force area is given in the tables. Comparable 1990 data for offences of possession of a controlled drug do not distinguish the type of drug.

Number of persons cautioned, proceeded against1 at magistrates' courts and tried at the Crown Court for the offence of Possession of Cannabis by Police Force Area, 1994 and 1995
Cautioned Proceeded against at Magistrates court1 Total tried at the Crown Court
Police Force Area 1994 1995 1994 1995 1994 1995
Thames Valley 795 692 548 594 16 16
Warwickshire 349 459 69 71 3
West Mercia 773 824 187 247 10 9
West Midlands 1,632 1,526 469 420 32 36
West Yorkshire 566 686 723 803 43 52
Wiltshire 400 275 54 57
Dyfed-Powys 470 469 153 206 5 7
Gwent 494 497 106 130 8 8
North Wales 820 837 297 292 7 8
South Wales 500 578 409 402 21 20
England and Wales 38,172 39,871 14,293 14,718 800 907
1Includes those who were committed for trial at the Crown Court.