HL Deb 11 March 2004 vol 658 cc188-9WA
Lord Marlesford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will give, for each of the most recent 10 years, the number of persons who on conviction were sentenced to community service; and what is the total number of hours of community service which were awarded in each of those years.[HL1594]

Baroness Scotland of Asthal:

ENGLAND AND WALES

The available information, from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database is given in the table. It 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 1993 to 2002.

Persons sentenced to community punishment orders1 and total number of hours of community punishment imposed by all courts in England and Wales, 1993 to 2002.

Year Persons sentenced to community punishment1 Total number of hours awarded1
1993 56,901 6,546,406
1994 61,868 7,092,492
1995 62,896 7,509,162
1996 63,195 6,762,468
1997 66,583 7,129,626
1998 69,749 7,373,633
1999 70,330 7,358,844
2000 69,224 7,200,420
2001 64,426 6,830,099
2002 66,275 6,964,449
1 Persons 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, showing 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 1993 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, 1993 to 2001.

Year Persons sentenced to community punishment Total number of hours awarded1
1993 584 86,109
1994 610 88,454
1995 607 88,792
1996 645 87,754
1997 598 80,205
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, showing 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 1993 to 2002, is as follows:

Persons sentenced to community service and total number of hours of community service imposed by all courts in Scotland, 1993 to 2002.1

Year Total(2) Total hours of community service
1993 5,632 737,530
1994 6,196 852,548
1995 6,609 917,207
1996 7,016 997,187
1997 7,153 1,068,187
1998 6,631 989,089
1999 6,206 925,750
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 awards 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.