HL Deb 03 March 2004 vol 658 cc108-10WA
Lord Marlesford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

In each of the past five years (a) how many individuals were sentenced to community service; and (b) how many hours in total of community service were awarded by the courts. [HL1215]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Scotland of Asthal)

The available information, from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database, shows the number of persons sentenced to community punishment orders imposed by courts in England and Wales, and the total hours of community punishment awarded for each of the years 1998 to 2002, is as follows:

Persons sentenced to community punishment orders1 and total number of hours of community punishment imposed by all courts in England and Wales, 1998 to 2002
Year Persons sentenced to community punishment1 Total number of hours awarded1
1998 69,749 7,373,633
1999 70,330 7,358,844
2000 69,224 7,200,420

Persons sentenced to community punishment orders1 and total number of hours of community punishment imposed by all courts in England and Wales, 1998 to 2002
Year Persons sentenced to community punishment1 Total number of hours awarded1
2001 64,426 6,830,099
2002 66,275 6,964,449
1Persons sentenced to community punishment orders and community punishment and rehabilitation orders (community service orders and combination orders prior to April 2000). The number of hours includes those awarded for community punishment orders and also for the community punishment component of community punishment and rehabilitation orders. Data are on the principal offence basis.

Statistics for 2003 will be published in the Autumn of 2004.

Northern Ireland

The available information, from the Northern Ireland Office Court Proceedings data sets, shows the number of persons sentenced to community service orders and combination orders imposed by courts in Northern Ireland, and the total hours of community punishment awarded for each of the years 1998 to 2001 (2002 information is currently not available), is as follows:

Persons sentenced to community service orders and combination orders and total number of hours of community punishment imposed by all courts in Northern Ireland, 1998 to 2001
Year Persons sentenced to community punishment Total number of hours awarded1
1998 706 86,451
1999 715 91,234
2000 810 96,395
2001 661 66,491
1 The number of hours includes those awarded for community service orders and also for the community service component of combination orders. Number of hours associated with the community service order aspect of combination orders in 2000 (55 cases) and 2001 (29 cases) is not available. Data are on the principal offence basis.

Statistics for 2002 will be published in June 2004.

Scotland

The available information, from the Scottish Executive Justice Department's Court Proceedings database, shows the number of persons sentenced in courts in Scotland to community service or probation with a condition of unpaid work, and the total hours of community service for each of the years 1998 to 2002, is as follows:

Persons sentenced to community service orders and combination orders and total number of hours of community punishment imposed by all courts in Northern Ireland, 1998 to 2001
Year Persons sentenced to community punishment Total number of hours awarded1
1998 706 86,451
1999 715 91,234
2000 810 96,395
2001 661 66,491
1 The number of hours includes those awarded for community service orders and also for the community service component of combination orders. Number of hours associated with the community service order aspect of combination orders in 2000 (55 cases) and 2001 (29 cases) is not available. Data are on the principal offence basis.
Persons sentenced to community service orders and combination orders and total number of hours of community punishment imposed by all courts in Northern Ireland, 1998 to 2001
Year Persons sentenced to community punishment Total number of hours awarded1
1998 706 86,451
1999 715 91,234
2000 810 96,395
2001 661 66,491
1 The number of hours includes those awarded for community service orders and also for the community service component of combination orders. Number of hours associated with the community service order aspect of combination orders in 2000 (55 cases) and 2001 (29 cases) is not available. Data are on the principal offence basis.

Statistics for 2002 will be published in June 2004.

Scotland

The available information, from the Scottish Executive Justice Department's Court Proceedings database, shows the number of persons sentenced in courts in Scotland to community service or probation with a condition of unpaid work, and the total hours of community service for each of the years 1998 to 2002, is as follows:

Persons sentenced to community service, and total number of hours of community service imposed by all courts in Scotland. 1998 to 20021
Year Total2 Total hours of community service
1998 6,631 989,089
1999 6206 925,750
2000 6,051 898,874
2001 6,325 946,282
2002 6,348 954,481
1 Includes persons sentenced to community service and to probation with a requirement of unpaid work. The number of
hours includes those awarded for the former, and also for the community service component of the latter.
2 Includes a number of cases each year where the number of hours of community service imposed is not known.