§ Mr. Bostonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give figures to show the number of indictable offences known to the police in England and Wales in the first quarter 167W of 1968, as compared with the first quarter of 1967.
First quarter 1967 First quarter 1968 Percentage variation First quarter (90 days) (91 days) 1967–1966 1968–1967 Violence against the person … … … 6,302 6,502 +5 +3 Sexual offences … … … 4,713 5,050 +5 +7 Breaking and entering … … … 74,035 73,711 —3 —0.4 Larceny … … … 198,513 198,921 +3 +0.2 Receiving … … … 5,690 6,498 +2 +14 Frauds and false pretences … … … 13,178 14,106 +4 +7 Other offences … … … 7,026 8,010 +7 +14 309,457 312,798 +1.6 +1.1 The figures for 1968 are provisional.
The recent report of the Departmental Committee on Criminal Statistics (Cmnd. 3448) suggested that there might be a need for the publication of statistics of recorded offences more frequently than once a year. I have considered this suggestion and have decided that the balance of advantage lies in quarterly publication. I propose in future therefore to issue provisional figures in the form of the table above for the first three, six and nine months of the year. A copy of the quarterly announcement will be placed in the Library of both Houses.