§ Miss Fookesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many community service orders have been issued to the latest convenient date; and how many have been successful.
§ Mr. JohnThe information available from Criminal Statistics is as follows:
PERSONS GIVEN COMMUNITY SERVICE AND PERSONS WHO BREACHED THE ORDER—ENGLAND AND WALES Number of persons Community service orders Breach of community service orders* 1973 … 513 Not available 1974 … 1,213 42 1975 … 3,126 90 * The breach does not necessarily occur in the year the order was given. The figures in the above table are on the principal offence basis as defined in Chapter 1 of Criminal Statistics 1975.
As regards more recent figures of persons given such orders, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the Questions by the hon. and learned Member for Runcorn (Mr. Carlisle) on 10th January. —[Vol. 923, c. 337–8.]
§ Miss Fookesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further steps are taken in the case of those who fail to complete the hours of community service required.
§ Mr. JohnIn such circumstances an offender is liable to have breach proceedings brought against him under Section 16 of the Powers of Criminal Courts Act 1973 and, on proof of failure to comply with the requirements of a community service order, to be fined up to £50 or to
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CERTAIN INDICTABLE OFFENCES RECORDED AS KNOWN TO THE POLICE—ENGLAND AND WALES Number of Offences Offences 1969 1973 1975 Offences against the person … … … 67,385 94,373 106,044 Burglary and theft and handling stolen goods … … … 1,332,271 1,391,975 1,789,541 Criminal or malicious damage … … … 14,710 52,815 78,546 be dealt with afresh for the offence for which the order was made. Provision is also made in Section 17 of the Act for the revocation of an order or for the substitution of another sentence where, on the application of an offender or relevant officer, it seems to a court to be in the interest of justice to do so.