§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if all offences of common assault are always recorded as crimes for the purposes of compiling crime statistics; [14472]
(2) how many crimes of actual bodily harm and how many crimes of common assault were recorded in (a) the six months since 1 September 1994 and (b) the six months preceding 1 September 1994; [14473]
(3) what proportion of total crimes committed consist of common assault and what proportion actual bodily harm (a) in the last year for which recorded crime figures are available and (b) in the previous two years. [14480]
§ Mr. Maclean[holding answer 17 March 1995]: Common assault is a summary offence and is therefore not included in the recorded crime statistics.
The available information relates to recorded offences of "other wounding" of which offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm form part. However, such offences cannot be separately identified and it is not possible to identify what proportion offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm form of the total number of recorded offences.
The latest available information shows that there were 99,482 recorded offences of "other wounding" in the six months to June 1994. Information after this date is not yet available.
§ Ms LynneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are taken to monitor the recording of crime by separate police forces and to asssess whether guidelines issued on this matter by the Home Department are followed. [14474]
§ Mr Maclean[holding answer 17 March 1995]: Statistics of recorded crime are based on rules for classification and counting which are standard for all police forces in England and Wales. A comprehensive set of counting rules is used by police forces in order to maintain the consistency of recording multiple, continuous and repeated offences. Whilst these detailed rules are issued centrally, many decisions still have to be taken locally about the recording and counting of criminal incidents.
Her Majesty's inspectorate of constabulary regularly looks into recording practices during force inspections. the Home Office also has a police statistics liaison officer who regularly visits statistics officers in the forces to discuss current issues and to monitor current procedures.