§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what information he has concerning the percentage of losses of goods suffered by stores that is attributable to (a) staff theft, (b) theft in transit and (c) public theft for each of the last 10 years;
(2) what percentage of retail turnover was represented by stealing, in total, by staff, public or in transit for each of the last 10 years.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe information requested is not available, as records collected centrally do not separately identify offences of theft from retailers other than shoplifting.
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the increasing percentage of thefts from stores that is attributable to staff.
§ Dr. SummerskillFigures for theft by staff from retailers are not recorded separately from other thefts by employees. I know of no evidence that an increasing percentage of thefts from stores is attributable to staff.
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what has been the estimated annual cash total of shoplifting offences known to the police, for each of the last 10 years;
(2) what estimate has been made of the percentage of charges of theft from stores, 26W relating to (a) staff and (b) customers for each of the last 10 years; and what are the sums involved.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe value of property reported stolen in offences of shoplifting recorded by the police in England and Wales is:
Year Value £'000s 1972 923 1973 1,179 1974 1,707 1975 2,135 1976 2,395 1977 3,558 No figures are available for the years preceding 1972.
Information is not available on offences of theft, other than shoplifting, from retailers.
§ Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to be able to provide information on the number of first-time offenders who appear on a shoplifting charge as their first charge of a criminal offence.
§ Dr. SummerskillThe information now available was sent to the hon. Member on 24th July.