§ 9. Mr. ConnartyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he is making on tackling crimes of violence in Northern Ireland. [107683]
§ Mr. IngramProvisional figures on violent crime for the period April to October 1999 and the final comparable figures for the same period in 1998 show some positive trends. Although the number of offences recorded has increased by 10.18 per cent., the clearance rate is even higher than that proportion with a 13.9 per cent. improvement. As a result, clearance rates for violent crime compare favourably at 53.4 per cent. with the previous year's figure of 46.9 per cent.