§ Mr. Freudasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the criminal statistics for 1979; whether he will ensure that the statistics are available more rapidly in future; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BrittanThe preparation of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" involves the collection, processing, analysis and presentation of a very large amount of statistical data. Allowing for printing time, it is not feasible to issue the publication before late July. We do not expect to be able to publish the 1979 volume of "Criminal Statistics" before November, because the preparation of statistics on criminal court proceedings and cautions in 1979 has been complicated by changes to offence groupings resulting from the Criminal Law Act 1977. In view of this delay, figures on serious offences recorded by the police in England and Wales in 1979 have already been published in more offence detail in Home190W Office statistical bulletin 9/80 issued on 20 June 1980; copies of this bulletin have been placed in the Library of the House.