§ Mr. MullinTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary as to what proportion of the clear-up rate for crime in his area in 1990–91 is accounted for by voluntary admissions by convicted criminals; how many detectives are employed to obtain these admissions; and when the practice ceased.
§ Dr. MawhinneyCrimes in Northern Ireland are considered statistically cleared only when a charge has been preferred or a summons issued in relation to a specific offence.
Voluntary admissions by convicted criminals do not by themselves affect the clear up rate for crime. However, they are often received by detectives in the normal course of their investigations. No detectives are deployed solely to obtain such admissions.