§ Mr. Charles Irvingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of those sentenced to imprisonment 313W in (a) 1974 and (b) 1979 had committed offences involving violence, sex, robbery, arson or drug trafficking.
PERSONS SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT FOR CERTAIN OFFENCES AS A PERCENTAGE OF ALL PERSONS SO SENTENCED* ENGLAND AND WALES Percentage Imprisonment Immediate Suspended Principal offence … … 1974 1978 1974 1978 Violence against the person … … 9 10 9 10 Sexual offences … … 3 3 2 2 Robbery … … 3 4 —† —† Arson … … 1 1 —† —† Drug trafficking‡ … … ..§ 1 ..§ 1 Total number sentenced to imprisonment for indictable and non-indictable offences (=100 per cent.) 32,293 43,992 29,499 35,324 * Exceptionally a person sentenced to imprisonment by a magistrates' court on the same occasion for both an indictable offence and a non-indictable offence (which includes drug trafficking) would be counted twice. † Less than ½ per cent. ‡Comprises drugs offences of unlawful production, unlawful supply, possession with intent to supply unlawfully and unlawful import and export, being the occupier or concerned in the management of premises and permitting or suffering certain activities to take place there. § Figures for 1974 are not available; the figures for 1973 are less than ½ per cent.