§ Mr. Frank R. Whiteasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many indictable offences were committed in Wales, and all the regions of England for the past five years; and what percentage of these offences committed in each region was perpetrated by under 18-year-olds.
§ Mr. BrittanThe numbers of indictable offences recorded by the police in the standard regions of England and in Wales for the years 1975–78 are published in table 2.4 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1978" (Cmnd. 7670); comparable information for 1974 is not available because of the reorganisation of local government in April 1974. The age of offenders is available only for those who are found guilty or cautioned. The number of persons found guilty or cautioned by age group in the whole of England and Wales is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales" (table 5.10 of the Volume for 1978, Cmnd. 7670) where separate statistics are given for juveniles aged 10 and under 17; percentages for that age group are given in the following Table 1. Corresponding percentages for each524W region in England and for Wales are readily available for 1978 only and are given in the following Table 2.
Table 1. Percentage of persons found guilty of, or cautioned for, indictable offences, who were aged 10 and under 17.
England and Wales Percentages Year 1974 38 1975 36 1976 34 1977 36 1978 35 Table 2. Percentage of persons found guilty of, or cautioned for, indictable offences who were aged 10 and under 17 by standard region.
Engaland and Wales 1978 Percentages Standard region North 37 Yorkshire and Humberside 39 East Midlands 37 East Anglia 38 South-East 32 South-West 34 West Midlands 37 North-West 37 England 35 Wales 35 England and Wales 35