§ Mr. EvansTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) robberies, (b) gun-related crimes and (c) recorded crimes there were in each police force area in Wales in each year since 1997. [100247]
§ Mr. Denham[holding answer 3 March 2003]: The requested information is given in the table. The figures include the number of recorded crimes in which Firearms were reported to have been used.
There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which would have the tendency to increase the number of offences counted. Numbers of offences before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.
1221WAs a result of three of the four police forces in Wales adopting the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in advance of its official introduction across England and Wales on 1 April 2002, numbers of offences recorded for 2001–02 may have been inflated.
Recorded crime: number of offences, by police force areas in Wales Robbery Offences involving Firearms Total crime Dyfed Powys 19971 34 61 18,098 1998–992 42 60 24,588 1999–2000 28 45 23,709 2000–01 23 68 22,878 2001–02 26 — 24,003 Gwent 19971 156 129 47,268 1998–992 173 215 58,738 1999–2000 216 248 60,132 2000–01 244 197 56,728 2001–02 215 — 46,938 North Wales 19971 112 109 40,684 1998–992 127 94 43,848 1999–2000 146 104 44,606 2000–01 163 74 47,708 2001–02 194 — 54,116 South Wales 19971 509 295 130,886 1998–992 511 222 134,820 1999–2000 519 315 127,040 2000–01 460 275 111,131 2001–02 595 — 116,708 1Offences were recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997, and thereafter on a financial year basis. 2 The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998. Notes:
1. Three of the four Wales forces adopted the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in advance of its official introduction across England and Wales on 1 April 2002; Dyfed Powys (January 2002), North Wales (October 2001) and South Wales (January 2002). This may have increased the number of offences recorded in 2001–02.
2. 2001–02 figures for Offences involving Firearms have not yet been published.