§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department from what date the Metropolitan Police began collecting statistics which allowed them to produce in March 1982 figures of ethnic origins of victims and perpetrators of violent crime.
§ Mr. Mayhew[pursuant to his reply, 8 April 1982, c. 419]: I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that statistics relating to the appearance of attackers was first collected centrally for offences of violence in 1974, although figures prior to 1976 are thought to be less reliable than for subsequent years. Statistics relating to the ethnic appearance of victims of offences of violence have been collected centrally by the Metropolitan Police since 1975.