§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the percentage of those charged with shoplifting who pleaded guilty or not guilty in (a) magistrates' courts, and (b) Crown courts for each of the last 10 years.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe information available is as follows. Information for earlier years could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
PERSONS CHARGED WITH OFFENCES OF SHOPLIFTING—by plea and type of court ENGLAND AND WALES 1976 Percentage Plea Guilty Not guilty No Plea Magistrates' Courts 90 10 — The Crown Court 40 58 2
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost of police time and courts' administrative time in handling all allegations of shoplifting, for each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in which police areas the police now require supermarkets to bring their own shoplifting charges; why they do so; and if he will make a statement on this practice.
§ Dr. SummerskillI understand that the Metropolitan Police encourage supermarkets and other large businesses to conduct their own prosecutions where they are willing to do so, while other police forces in England and Wales normally conduct all prosecutions for shoplifting, unless the company concerned wishes to undertake the prosecution itself. Decisions about prosecutions are within the responsibility of chief officers of police, who have to have regard to the circumstances in their force area and other competing demands on resources.
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the percentage of shoplifting cases coming before the courts, expressed as a percentage of all cases coming before (a) magistrates, and (b) Crown courts throughout the country for each of the last five years.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe information is as follows:
PERSONS TRIED FOR OFFENCES OF SHOPLIFTING—PROPORTION OF ALL PERSONS TRIED—by type of court ENGLAND AND WALES percentages Year Magistrates' courts Crown Court 1972 3 3 1973 2 3 1974 3 3 1975 3 4 1976 3 4 Information for 1977 is not yet available.
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of alleged shoplifting offences were for goods to the value of (a) under £5, (b) between £5 and £10, and (c) over £10, for each of the last 10 years for which statistics are available; and what was the percentage of acquittals in magistrates' courts and Crown courts, in each of the three categories, for the years concerned.
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§ Dr. SummerskillThe information available is given in the following tables:
OFFENCES OF SHOPLIFTING RECORDED BY THE POLICE—PROPORTION BY REPORTED VALUE OF THEFT ENGLAND AND WALES percentage(1) Reporter value of theft Year Under £5(2) £5 and under £10 £10 and over 1969 … … 80 8 12 1970 … … 79 9 12 1971 … … 79 9 12 Under £5(2) £5 and under £25 £25 and over 1972 … … 79 16 52 1973 … … 77 17 6 1974 … … 74 19 7 1975 … … 70 22 8 1976 … … 67 24 9 (1) As a percentage of the number of offences of shoplifting recorded by the police. (2) Including offences in which the value is reported as nil.
PROPORTION OF PERSONS TRIED FOR OFFENCES OF SHOPLIFTING WHO WERE ACQUITTED ENGLAND AND WALES Percentage(1) Under £5 £5 and over Year Magistrates' courts Crown Court Magistrates' courts Crown Court 1972 … 5 (2) 3 (2) 1973 … 5 44 3 22 1974 … 6 41 3 20 1975 … 6 43 3 17 (1) As a percentage of all persons tried for offences of shoplifting, including those who pleaded guilty (2) Not available