HC Deb 05 March 1997 vol 291 cc604-5W
Mr. Bayley

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many people(a) aged under 18 years and (b) in total were (i) arrested for, (ii) cautioned for, (iii) charged with and convicted of offences relating to knives in north Yorkshire in each of the last five years; [18261]

(2) how many people (a) from York, (b) from north Yorkshire and (c) nationally were convicted of offences relating to knives carried out by (i) persons of all ages and (ii) persons aged under 18 years at the time of the offence in each of the last three years. [18262]

Mr. Maclean

Detailed data of the number of people arrested and charged are not collected centrally.

Information available on the number of people cautioned, prosecuted and convicted from 1991 to 1995 is given in the tables. 1996 data will not be available until the autumn.

Table A. Number of persons aged under 18 years cautioned, prosecuted at magistrates' courts and convicted at all courts for offences relating to knives by type of offence and area 1991–95
Area Disposal 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Carrying article with blade or point in a public place [Criminal Justice Act 1988, Sec 139]
York petty sessional division1
Cautions n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Prosecutions 1 2
Convictions 1 2
North Yorkshire police force area
Cautions 1 9 4 1 3
Prosecutions 3 3 1 4
Convictions 3 2 1 4
England and Wales
Cautions 328 423 418 497 544
Prosecutions 274 277 222 392 435
Convictions 185 207 168 296 305
Carrying of offensive weapons2 without lawful authority or reasonable excuse in a public place [Prevention of Crime Act 1953, Sec 1]
York petty sessional division1
Cautions n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Prosecutions 1 1 1 2
Convictions 1 1 1 1
Table A. Number of persons aged under 18 years cautioned, prosecuted at magistrates' courts and convicted at all courts for offences relating to knives by type of offence and area 1991–95
Area Disposal 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
North Yorkshire police force area
Cautions 2 11 4 3 5
Prosecutions 4 4 6 7 4
Convictions 3 4 4 4 3
England and Wales
Cautions 1,258 1,274 1,387 1,350 1,290
Prosecutions 731 733 659 692 834
Convictions 494 439 377 408 482
1 Includes convictions at the Crown court where the committing magistrates' court was York PSD.
2 May include a small number of offences involving truncheons etc.
Table B. Number of persons, all ages, cautioned, prosecuted at magistrates' courts and convicted at all courts for offences relating to knives by type of offence and area 1991–95
Area Disposal 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Carrying article with blade or point in a public place [Criminal Justice Act 1988, Sec 139]
York petty sessional division1
Cautions n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Prosecutions 8 3 10 4 13
Convictions 6 3 7 4 10
North Yorkshire police force area
Cautions 4 11 7 4 4
Prosecutions 28 10 25 13 26
Convictions 21 9 19 9 20
England and Wales
Cautions 704 1,055 1,282 1,292 1,512
Prosecutions 2,397 2,640 2,553 3,366 3,474
Convictions 1,737 1,848 1,852 2,502 2,559
Carrying of offensive weapons2 without lawful authority or reasonable excuse in a public place [Prevention of Crime Act 1953, Sec 1]
York petty sessional division1
Cautions n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a
Prosecutions 11 18 18 9 11
Convictions 9 16 14 3 8
North Yorkshire police force area
Cautions 4 20 6 8 7
Prosecutions 51 55 56 58 42
Convictions 34 42 38 35 28
England and Wales
Cautions 2,697 2,911 3,172 3,026 2,973
Prosecutions 5,979 5,795 5,148 5,419 5,215
Convictions 3,907 3,606 3,118 3,295 3,190
1 Includes convictions at the Crown court where the committing magistrates' court was York PSD.
2 May include a small number of offences involving truncheons etc.