§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the absolute and the percentage increase in the number of offences of criminal damage recorded by the Metropolitan police between 1979 and 1984.
§ Mr. MellorFigures for 1979 are not directly comparable with those for 1984 because of changes made by the new counting rules which were introduced at the beginning of 1980. The increase in the numbers of offences of criminal damage recorded by the Metropolitan police between 1980 and 1984 was 25,900, or 34 per cent. 583W The numbers of such offences have been published in the "Criminal Statistics Supplementary Tables" volume 3 (table S3.1).