HC Deb 15 March 1982 vol 20 cc12-5W
Mr. Proctor

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish in the Official Report the number of recorded offences of robbery and other violent thefts by police district in the Metropolitan Police district for 1980 and 1981, showing the percentage change and also the same table by police district and victim perception of appearance of assailant for 1981 and for any previous years which are available to the Metropolitan Police;

(2) if he will publish in the Official Report a table of (a) the total recorded offences of robbery and other violent theft for each of the Metropolitan Police districts in 1981, the number of assailants who, to the victim, appeared "coloured", "white", "mixed gangs", and "not known", and the percentage proportion of "coloured" to total in each district.

Mr. Whitelaw

I understand from the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis that the information readily available is as given in the following tables which were circulated at the Metropolitan Police press conference on 10 March 1982.

Appearance of assailant
District White Coloured Mixed gang Not known Total
G—Hackney 220 1,211 73 95 1,599
H—Tower Hamlets 302 204 27 95 628
I—Heathrow, etc. 10 4 1 27 42
J—Waltham Forest, Redbridge, etc. 191 183 16 73 463
K—Havering, Barking and Newham 272 270 15 185 742
L—Lambeth 327 1,988 72 106 2,493
M—Southwark 321 739 38 183 1,281
N—Islington 204 264 67 197 732
P—Lewisham and Bromley 289 901 55 131 1,376
Q—Brent and Harrow 198 831 18 181 1,228
R—Greenwich and Bexley 198 154 20 131 503
S—Barnet and Hertsmere 142 31 27 74 274
T—Richmond-upon-Thames and Hounslow 141 58 12 74 285
V—Kingston-upon-Thames, Merton etc. 92 50 3 44 189
W—Wandsworth 213 751 43 190 1,197
X—Ealing and Hillingdon 258 277 34 73 642
Y—Haringey and Enfield, etc. 229 790 43 137 1,199
Z—Croydon and Sutton, etc. 176 211 15 93 495
M.P.D. Total 4,967 10,399 704 2,693 18,763

Recorded offences of robbery and other violent theft by district 1980–1981 and percentage change.
District 1980 1981 Percentage change 1980–81 per cent.
A—(Part) Westminster 142 192 35
B—Kensington and Chelsea 490 581 19
C—(Part) Westminster 534 586 10
D—(Part) Westminster 547 760 39
E—Camden 603 698 16
F—Hammersmith 353 578 64
G—Hackney 1,086 1,599 47
H—Tower Hamlets 460 628 37
I—Heathrow, etc. 32 42 31
J—Waltham Forest, Redbridge, etc. 476 463 -3
K—Havering, Barking and Newham 587 742 26
L—Lambeth 1,945 2,493 28
M—Southwark 724 1,281 77
N—Islington 548 732 34
P—Lewisham and Bromley 736 1,376 87
Q—Brent and Harrow 928 1,228 32
R—Greenwich and Bexley 333 503 51
S—Barnet and Hertsmere 222 274 23
T—Richmond-upon-Thames and Hounslow 235 285 21
V—Kingston-upon-Thames, Merton etc. 166 189 14
W—Wandsworth 880 1,197 36
X—Ealing and Hillingdon 372 642 73
Y—Haringey and Enfield etc. 1,184 1,199 1
Z—Croydon and Sutton, etc. 401 495 23
M.P.D. Total 13,984 18,763 34

Mr. Proctor

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the publication of statistics of recorded crime in London by the Metropolitan Police on 10 March 1982.

Mr. Mayhew

The publication of these statistics, which are collected by the Metropolitan Police, is a matter for the Commissioner.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what definitions are used for crimes of violence known as "muggings" in the compilation of crime statistics; and what variations there are in these definitions between different police authorities.

Mr. Whitelaw

Mugging is a term with no legal definition. The 43 police forces in England and Wales are required to supply information to the Home Office giving the numbers of offences recorded according to legal definitions. The collection of information for operational purposes is a matter for chief officers of police.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to ensure that all future crime figures and statistics for London and elsewhere show the racial spread amongst criminals for all types of crime and not just robbery and violent theft.

Mr. Whitelaw

I have no plans to collect such statistics centrally.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the crime figures for London are broken down to show the racial spread in crimes of robbery and violent theft and not for other types of crime.

Mr. Whitelaw

I understand from the Commissioner of Police that such information is also collected for other types of offence where the assailant is likely to be seen by the victim—i.e. recorded offences of assaults, etc. and of non-violent 'theft from person of another'. Ethnic appearance is also collected for persns arrested for all types of serious crime.

Mr. Alexander W. Lyon

asked the Secretary of St ate for the Home Department whether, as the police authority for London, he sanctioned or was consulted about the release of figures concerning the involvement of blacks in street crime by the Metropolitan Police; and if not, what action he proposes to take.

Mr. Clinton Davis

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he authorised the publication by the Metropolitan Police of lists showing area by area the colour of offenders involved in street crime in London; and if he has any plans to authorise the publication by the Metropolitan Police of similar lists demonstrating the religous or political beliefs of such persons.

Mr. Whitelaw

The publication of these statistics, which are collected by the Metropolitan Police, is a matter for the Commissioner, who informed me in advance of his intention.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether statistics are kept of the racial spread of the victims of robbery and violent crime in London.

Mr. Whitelaw

I understand that the Metropolitan Police do keep such statistics.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research studies have been carried out into crimes of violence known as "muggings"; if he will give details of their results; and if he will publish them.

Mr. Whitelaw

My Department has carried out a limited study of these crimes in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Merseyside. An article reporting on this study will be published shortly.

Mr. Marlow

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out for each London borough and for London as a whole for the last two years each of (a) the proportion of black population, (b) the black population between 14 and 21 years as a proportion of the total population between 14 and 21 years, (c) the proportion of crimes of violence allegedly committed by blacks only, (d) the proportion of crimes of violence allegedly committed by whites only, (e) the origins of crimes of violence proven to be committed by blacks and whites as above and (f) the number of crimes of violence.

Mr. Whitelaw

Such information as is available could only be provided at disproportionate cost.