HC Deb 28 February 1996 vol 272 c529W
Mr. Mackinlay

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 6 February,Official Report, column 112 (1) what is the definition of the term substantive as used in his answer in respect of the rape offences; [17111]

(2) which constabularies and on how many occasions issued cautions in respect of the offence of substantive rape and attempted rape in the periods January to March 1994 and from April to December 1994; [17112]

(3) when he will be able to give the comparable figures for the cautions issued in 1995. [17110]

Mr. Maclean

[holding answer 27 February 1996]: Offences of "substantive" rape as quoted in the answer of 6 February refer to all offences of rape under section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956 other than attempted rape, where rape is as defined in section 142(2) of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 and an attempt in any act that is more than merely preparatory to the intended commission of the crime but not the crime itself.

Provisional summary information on cautioning in England and Wales in 1995 will be available in the summer of 1996. Final data, including detailed information by offence and police force area, will be available in late autumn 1996.

Information on which police forces issued cautions for offences of substantive rape and attempted rape in 1994 is shown in the following table.

Number of persons cautioned for substantive rape and attempted rape in (a) January to March 1994 and (b) April to December 1994 by police force area.
Police force area Number cautioned
January to March 1994 Substantive rape
Bedfordshire 1
Cambridgeshire 1
Hertfordshire 1
Gloucestershire 2
Metropolitan Police 1
Wiltshire 1
April to December 1994 Substantive rape
Cambridgeshire 1
Devon and Cornwall 1
Staffordshire 2
West Midlands 1
Dyfed and Powys 1
Attempted rape
West Midlands 1