§ Mr. Hornbyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the number of offences recorded as known to the police and the number cleared up in England and Wales in 1972; and how these figures compare with 1971.
§ Mr. R. CarrThe provisional number of offences recorded as known to the police in England and Wales in 1972 was 1,361,962 and 599,187 (41.1 per cent.) were cleared up. These figures are not directly comparable with those for 1971 because of (i) the effect on the statistics of the Criminal Damage Act 1971 which came into force on 14th October 1971 and (ii) a change in recording practice, as from 1st January 1972, of excluding thefts of less than £5 in value.
The figures for 1971 in the attached table have been adjusted to be on a comparable basis with those for 1972.