Crime (Hansard, 26 July 1977)

§ Mr. Peter Morrison

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will publish in the Official Report the number of indictable offences known to the police in the categories of violence against the person, sexual offences, burglary and robbery, theft and handling stolen goods, fraud and forgery, and criminal damage, for each of the five most recent years for which figures are available; and whether he will show the number of crimes in each case and in each 143W year committed by persons under 18 years of age, and also by persons under 21 years of age

CERTAIN INDICTABLE OFFENCES RECORDED BY THE POLICE—ENGLAND AND WALES
Number of offences (thousands)
Offence group	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976
Violence against the person	…	52.4	61.3	63.8	71.0	77.7
Sexual offences	…	23.5	25.7	24.7	23.7	22.2
Burglary	…	438.7	393.2	483.8	521.9	515.4
Robbery	…	8.9	7.3	8.7	11.3	11.6
Theft and handling stolen goods	…	1,009.5	998.8	1,189.9	1,267.7	1,285.7
Fraud and forgery	…	108.4	110.7	117.2	123.1	119.9
Criminal damage^*	…	41.9	52.8	67.1	78.5	93.0
^* Excluding criminal damage where the reported value was £20 and under.
Information by age of offender can be given only in respect of offences which result in a finding of guilt or a caution. The following table gives numbers of persons found guilty or cautioned for the recorded age groups nearest to those requested; information for 1976 is not yet available.

PERSONS AGED 10 AND UNDER 21 FOUND GUILTY OF OR CAUTIONED FOR CERTAIN INDICTABLE OFFENCES—ENGLAND AND WALES
Number of persons (thousands)
Offence group and age group	1972	1973	1974	1975
Violence against the person
Aged 10 and under 17	…	…	6.3	7.6	7.3	7.3
Aged 17 and under 21	…	…	7.8	9.1	8.9	9.9
Total aged 10 and under 21	…	…	14.1	16.7	16.2	17.2
Sexual offences
Aged 10 and under 17	…	…	2.4	2.8	2.6	2.2
Aged 17 and under 21	…	…	2.6	2.7	2.4	2.3
Total aged 10 and under 21	…	…	5.0	5.5	5.0	4.5
Burglary
Aged 10 and under 17	…	…	36.3	35.4	44.7	43.8
Aged 17 and under 21	…	…	16.2	14.1	15.7	18.4
Total aged 10 and under 21	…	…	52.5	49.5	60.4	62.2
Robbery
Aged 10 and under 17	…	…	1.5	1.5	1.1	1.2
Aged 17 and under 21	…	…	1.1	1.0	0.9	1.2
Total aged 10 and under 21	…	…	2.6	2.5	2.0	2.4
Theft and handling stolen goods
Aged 10 and under 17	…	…	88.1	92.0	109.8	106.7
Aged 17 and under 21	…	…	47.7	47.4	52.0	57.1
Total aged 10 and under 21	…	…	135.8	139.4	161.8	163.8
Fraud and forgery
Aged 10 and under 17	…	…	1.4	1.3	1.7	1.7
Aged 17 and under 21	…	…	3.3	3.1	3.6	3.9
Total aged 10 and under 21	…	…	4.7	4.4	5.3	5.6
Criminal damage
Aged 10 and under 17	…	…	12.4	15.2	16.7	15.9
Aged 17 and under 21	…	…	7.8	10.0	11.3	11.8
Total aged 10 and under 21	…	…	20.2	25.2	28.0	27.7

144W