§ Mr. Norman HoggTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the percentage increase or decrease in notifiable offences recorded by the police in the first684W quarter of 1990 over the same quarter in 1989, identifying (a) violence against the person, (b) sexual offences, (c) burglary, (d) robbery, (e) theft, (f) handling stolen goods, (g) fraud and forgery, (h) criminal damage and (i) other offences.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe table sets out the figures on the percentage changes in crime recorded by the police using the best available approximations in the Scottish classification of crimes and offences to the categories listed. The term "notifiable offences" is not used in Scotland. Quarterly figures are subject to considerable variation and for technical reasons are less accurate than annual figures. The Scottish Home and Health Department statistical bulletin "Recorded Crime in Scotland 1989", a copy of which is in the Library, provides annual figures for 1989 and earlier years.
The number of crimes recorded by the police in the first quarters of Percentage of schools in each category 1989 and 1990 and the percentage change. (Provisional estimates)
Scotland
1st quarter 1989 1st quarter 1990 Percentage change Violence against the person 11,486 12,777 +8 Sexual offences 1,012 1,149 +14 Burglary 23,693 26,941 +14 Robbery 1,118 1,241 +11 Theft 54,995 61,356 +12 Handling stolen goods 423 529 +25 Fraud and forgery 5,782 5,755 0 Criminal damage 18,963 21,561 +14 Othr crimes 7,321 9,416 +29 All crimes and petty assault 124,793 140,395 +13 Notes:
The categories listed have been derived from the categories of the Scottish classification of crimes and offences as follows:
Violence against the person": all non-sexual crimes of violence (group I of the standard classification) apart from robbery together with the crimes of reckless driving at common law, endangering railway passengers and endangering ship by breach of duty and the offence of petty assault. (Following changes to the definition of serious assault in January 1990 to improve comparability between police forces, it is necessary to include petty assault when comparisons are made over time).Sexual offences": all crimes of indecency (group 2 of the standard classification) apart from indecent exposure, brothel keeping and prostitution.Burglary": housebreaking.Theft": opening lockfast places and clandestine removal in addition to theft per se.Handling stolen goods": reset.Fraud and forgery": fraud, forgery and uttering, bankruptcy and currency offences.Criminal damage": fire raising, vandalism and other crimes of malicious and reckless conduct not involving violence against the person.Other offences": other crimes in groups 1 to 5 of the standard classification not included above.