§ (2) what the rate of detection was of (a) violence against the person, (b) sexual offences, (c) robbery, (d) burglary, (e) theft and handling stolen goods, (f) fraud and forgery, (g) criminal damage, (h) drug and other offences and (i) burglary of a dwelling in (1) St Helens, (2) Merseyside, (3) the North West and (4) England in (A) 1997, (B) 1998, (C) 1999, (D) 2000 and (E) 2001. [71277]
§ Mr. John Denham[holding answer 23 July 2002]: The available requested information is given in the tables. For the number of offences, the number of recorded crimes are given, from which the rates per population and detection rates are calculated.
It should be noted that there was a change of counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, and so numbers of recorded crimes and detection rates before and after that date are not directly comparable. Also, some forces will have introduced the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard ahead of its national implementation on 1 April 2002, and so this will be reflected in the England and North West Region figures. The counting rules for detections changed on 1 April 1999, so that numbers of detections before and after that date will not be directly comparable.
It should be noted that recorded crime is subject to changes in reporting and recording. For example, the number of common assaults in England and Wales recorded in the British Crime Survey, which measures victims' experience of crime, decreased by an estimated 24 per cent. from 1999 to 2001–02. However, common assaults recorded by the police in that area over that period increased by 23 per cent. Offences recorded by the police may therefore not necessarily be a reflection of the real level of offences, or trends for offences.
1443W
Recorded crimes by offence group–North West Region 1997 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 Offence Group Offences recorded Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded Offences Per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Violence against the person 32,097 4.7 73 70,555 10.3 78 75,568 11.0 74 77,150 11.2 72 85,416 12.4 66 Sexual offences 4,425 0.6 82 4,865 0.7 77 4,550 0.7 70 4,663 0.7 65 5,070 0.7 58 Robbery 9,702 1.4 23 11,613 1.7 22 12,911 1.9 18 14,127 2.1 18 16,406 2.4 17 Burglary 150,235 21.8 18 14,8840 21.6 16 140,632 20.4 11 131,766 19.2 10 140,353 20.4 10 Burglary in dwelling 20 18 13 13 12 12 Theft and Handling 290,143 42.1 24 297,498 43.2 22 294,620 42.8 20 280,300 40.7 19 298,199 43.3 17 Fraud and Forgery 16,398 2.4 57 28,694 4.2 51 32,363 4.7 43 33,019 4.8 40 31,029 4.5 33 Criminal damage 137,796 20.0 13 135,878 19.7 16 150,369 21.8 14 155,192 22.6 13 177,127 25.7 12 Drug offences 19,267 2.8 99 16,106 2.3 99 15,070 2.2 98 14,775 2.1 97 Other offences 8,514 1.2 98 9,520 1.4 85 9,262 1.3 83 8,768 1.3 82 9,434 1.4 78 Total 649,310 94.2 25 726,730 105.6 30 736,381 106.9 26 720,055 104.7 25 777,809 112.8 23
Recorded crimes by offence group—England 1997 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 Offences recorded Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Violence against the person 233,441 4.8 78 470,689 9.6 70 543,,116 11.0 63 562,692 11.3 60 613,661 12.3 57 Sexual offences 31,291 0.6 76 34,356 0.7 67 36,043 0.7 57 35,605 0.7 51 39,674 0.8 48 Robbery 62,261 1.3 27 65,982 1.3 22 83,368 1.7 18 94,264 1.9 18 120345 2.4 16 Burglary 968,630 19.7 22 911,243 18.5 18 869.704 17.6 12 803,144 16.2 12 846,287 16.9 12 Burglary in dwelling 25 22 14 14 14 Theft and Handling 2,059,130 42.0 24 208,7864 42.4 21 2,124,893 42.9 17 2,056,337 41.3 17 2,177,042 43.5 16 Fraud and Forgery 128,641 2.6 48 267,497 5.4 35 322,884 6.5 29 308,875 6.2 28 307,165 6.1 27 Criminal damage 822,029 16.8 16 823,520 16.7 17 890,756 18.0 15 906800 18.2 14 1007567 20.2 13 Drug offences 126,196 2.6 97 113,346 2.3 96 105,107 2.1 95 111,895 2.2 94 Other offences 55,968 1.1 95 59748 1.2 77 61,590 1.2 73 59,566 1.2 71 61,681 1.2 70 Total 4,361,391 88.9 27 4,847,095 98.4 28 5,045,700 101.9 24 4932390 99.1 24 5,285,317 105.7 23 There was no separate drug offence category in 1997. Trafficking was included in "Other Offences".