§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people charged with shoplifting have committed suicide (a) before and (b) after their cases were heard in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.
§ Mr. MellorThe information available to me relates to court proceedings reported to have been discontinued because the defendant committed suicide, which for magistrates' courts is published annually for all types of offence in "Criminal Statistics, in England and Wales, Supplementary Tables, Volume I" (table S1.1(a)(i) of the publication for 1984). No proceedings for shoplifting were reported to have been discontinued for this reason in 1984; the corresponding numbers were three in 1982 and one in 1978. Corresponding numbers for other previous years could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information is not collected centrally on suicides before court proceedings begin or after the court has made its decision.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the death by suicide of Mrs. Mary Wilcox, he will now issue guidelines to all police forces to ensure that, before a person who is elderly or very young or ill is charged with shoplifting, special consideration is given as to whether or not prosecution is the best way to deal with the matter, with particular regard to the risks of suicide.
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§ Mr. Giles ShawDecisions whether to institute proceedings in individual cases are the responsibility of chief officers of police and my right hon. Friend has no authority to issue instructions to them in this. Home Office circular 14/1985 on the cautioning of offenders, issued in February 1985, provided guidance to chief officers on the circumstances in which a course of action other than prosecution, such as cautioning, might be appropriate. It drew particular attention to the suitability of cautioning in respect of juveniles, the elderly and infirm, and persons suffering physical or mental illness, mental impairment or emotional distress. Home Office circular 26/1983, issued in February 1983, drew the attention of chief officers of police to the Attorney-General's guidelines on prosecution practice, which also provided guidance on the decision to prosecute in cases involving the elderly, or infirm, or persons suffering from mental illness or stress. Copies of both circulars are in the Library.
§ Mr. Jannerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the death by suicide of Mrs. Mary Wilcox, he will hold an inquiry into the law on theft from shops and on the way in which it operates in practice.
§ Mr. MellorWe have no plans to do so.