§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the rise or fall in percentage terms of indictable crime over the most recent five year period for which figures are available in each European Economic Community country.
§ Mr. MayhewThe readily available information is based on data published by Interpol and is given in the following table. The percentage changes must be considered approximate and may not be comparable because of the differences between countries in the way in which offences are defined and recorded and possible differences in the extent to which offences are reported to the police.
Offences about which the police were informed European Community* Percentage change 1971–1976 Denmark - 6 France +40 Federal Republic of Germany +25 Netherlands +70 United Kingdom England and Wales +28 Scotland +27† Northern Ireland +29 *Figures for the same period for other European community countries are not available from Interpol publications. † Estimated; after adjustment for the change in recording practices in 1975. Source: Interpol, except for the figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland which have been obtained from national sources.