Public Servants (Assaults) (Hansard, 20 November 2001)

§ Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many members of staff working in(a) benefit offices and (b) jobcentres were assaulted while at work in (i) 1999–2000 and (ii) 2000–01. [8610]

§ Hywel Williams
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many reported incidents of an aggressive nature against Benefits Agency workers there were in each of the past five years for(a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland. [11115]
177W

§ Mr. Clappison
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many attacks on Benefits Agency staff were recorded in each year since 1997; and how many successful prosecutions were brought against the perpetrators of such attacks; [14227]
(2) how many assaults on Benefits Agency staff were (a) recorded last year and (b) recorded in each of the previous years since 1997. [11253]

§ Mr. Nicholas Brown
The information available is in the tables. The information requested on the number of successful prosecutions is not available.
The increase in the number of reported incidents in 2000 can be attributed to awareness raising activities with Benefits Agency staff about the importance of reporting incidents and to a poster issued by the PCS Union advising staff that all incidents of customer aggression should be reported.

Benefit Agency

Total assaults

Year Physical assaults Non-physical assaults England Scotland Wales

1997 100 3,426 2,959 278 289

1998 41 3,092 2,579 313 241

1999 98 2,357 2,071 186 198

2000 163 5,144 4,467 398 442

2001¹ 92 3,567 2,990 283 386

Employment Service

1999⁴ 2000 2001¹

Number of staff reporting a physical assault 166 232 166

Number of staff reporting a non-physical assault 2,530 4,146 2,850

Total number of reports received² 2,696 4,378 3,016

Total number of incidents occurring³ 2,481 4,044 2,729

¹ Information to date. These figures are based on the reports so far received; other incidents may have occurred but may not yet have been reported.

² This figure represents the number of individual reports completed.

³ This figure relates to the number of individual incidents that have occurred. This number is lower than the number of reports as several individuals can report the same incident if they feel that they have been a victim of it.

⁴ The figures shown for the Employment Service for 1999 record the number of incidents that occurred between April and December. Prior to this date the information was collated on a separate database which did not provide data in compatible categories. During the period January to March 1999, 1,115 reports were filed and 1,106 incidents occurred but these figures include 'other' incidents between clients where no staff were involved.

Benefit Agency
			Total assaults
Year	Physical assaults	Non-physical assaults	England	Scotland	Wales
1997	100	3,426	2,959	278	289
1998	41	3,092	2,579	313	241
1999	98	2,357	2,071	186	198
2000	163	5,144	4,467	398	442
2001¹	92	3,567	2,990	283	386

Employment Service
	1999⁴	2000	2001¹
Number of staff reporting a physical assault	166	232	166
Number of staff reporting a non-physical assault	2,530	4,146	2,850
Total number of reports received²	2,696	4,378	3,016
Total number of incidents occurring³	2,481	4,044	2,729
¹ Information to date. These figures are based on the reports so far received; other incidents may have occurred but may not yet have been reported.
² This figure represents the number of individual reports completed.
³ This figure relates to the number of individual incidents that have occurred. This number is lower than the number of reports as several individuals can report the same incident if they feel that they have been a victim of it.
⁴ The figures shown for the Employment Service for 1999 record the number of incidents that occurred between April and December. Prior to this date the information was collated on a separate database which did not provide data in compatible categories. During the period January to March 1999, 1,115 reports were filed and 1,106 incidents occurred but these figures include 'other' incidents between clients where no staff were involved.