§ Mr. PicklesTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on reasons for which data are not available beyond 2000 for the number of malicious fires attended by local authority fire brigades. [83456]
§ Mr. LeslieThe latest annual data were published in "Fire Statistics, UK, 2000" in February 2002. The Statistical Bulletin ("Fire Statistics Estimates, UK, 2001") covering the most recent data will be published as soon as it is available, as required under the ONS Code of Practice for National Statistics.
The data in the bulletin are compiled from statistical returns covering some 950,000 fire-related incidents, and are subject to quality control procedures before inputting. The time taken to process and publish is not unusual for complex data collection exercises of this kind.