HC Deb 05 December 1988 vol 143 cc30-1W
Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men, (b) women, (c) boys under 18 years of age and (d) girls under 18 years of age were reported as missing during each of the last five years for which records are available; and how many and what percentage in each category were subsequently traced.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

The only readily available information relates to persons recorded by the Metropolitan police missing persons bureau. I understand from the commissioner that these records are incomplete in respect of persons who are reported missing to other police forces and persons who reappear within a short time of being reported missing. The information for the Metropolitan police district is given in the following table. Further details of missing persons are given in the commissioner's annual report.

Persons reported missing during the year and proportion of each yearly total who were traced by the end of that year.
Metropolitan Police District Number of persons
Under 18 18 and over
Year Number reported missing Percentage traced end of year Number reported missing Percentage traced by end of year
Males
1983 1,340 93 682 92
1984 1,416 92 1,007 83
1985 1,283 96 1,009 87
1986 1,291 92 1,069 81
19871 1,504 92 1,719 78
Females
1983 1,534 90 642 89
1984 1,733 93 950 88
1985 1,699 94 931 88
1986 1,586 95 964 85
19871 1,623 91 1,609 80
1 New counting procedures were introduced from the beginning of 1987: hence the figures for previous years are not comparable.

Mr. Janner

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will ask chief officers of police in England and Wales to supply him with such information regarding missing persons and their subsequent tracing, alive or dead, as is conveniently available.

Mr. Douglas Hogg

Responsibility for investigating reports of missing persons is an operational matter for individual chief officers of police. Records of missing persons are held locally, and may be circulated to other forces or to the missing persons bureau at New Scotland yard as chief officers consider necessary. There is no requirement upon chief officers to provide the Home Office with statistics relating to missing persons. Information could be collated only by means of a special exercise which would involve disproportionate expense.