§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of domestic violence were reported in the Greater London area during 1997. [31657]
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§ Mr. MichaelStatistics on crime are recorded by offence type and not by the relationship between the victim and the offender, so there is therefore no definitive figure for the number of violent crimes which were domestic in nature.
The Metropolitan police, whose force area is broadly co-terminous with Greater London, have been noting offences which appear to them to be of a domestic nature. Their information for 1997 is attached.
Offences of domestic violence in the Metropolitan Police District 1997 Number Violence against the person Murder 4 Grievous Bodily Harm 675 Actual Bodily Harm 13.044 Other violence 1.314 Violence against the person total 15.037 Sexual offences Rape 212 Other sexual 193 Sexual offences total 405 Robbery 107 Common assaults (non-notifiable) 16.561
§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding was made available by his Department for dealing with domestic violence during 1997. [31719]
§ Mr. MichaelWhile the Home Office has responsibility for co-ordinating policy on combating domestic violence, most funding from central Government is channelled through the Single Regeneration Budget Challenge Fund and budgets which reflect the specific responsibilities of other Departments. While the responsibility at a local level lies with local agencies, the Home Office Programme Development Unit has provided funds for local projects in the past. Domestic violence was not selected in 1995 when the themes for its last three years funding round were decided.
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Table B: Number of prosecutions and convictions1 of children under 18 years of age for arson in Wales by police force area 1992–1996 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 Offence/Police force area Prosecutions Convictions Prosecutions Convictions Prosecutions Convictions Prosecutions Convictions Prosecutions Convictions Arson endangering life12 North Wales 1 — 5 4 1 — 3 2 8 3 Gwent 1 1 — — 7 4 2 1 2 2 South Wales 2 1 3 1 3 2 8 1 11 6 Dyfed-Powys 3 — 1 2 2 2 1 — 3 3 Wales 7 2 9 7 13 8 14 4 24 14 Arson not endangering life3 North Wales 16 8 6 4 17 11 14 8 4 2 Gwent 15 6 6 5 16 13 11 5 9 7 South Wales 16 11 13 6 21 12 17 11 28 14 Dyfed-Powys 2 1 8 2 5 3 6 3 17 7 Wales 48 26 33 17 59 39 27 27 58 30 1 Prosecutions in magistrates' courts and convictions in all courts. 2 Offences under the Criminal Damage Act, 1971 Sec. 1(2). 3 Offences under the Criminal Damage Act, 1971 Sec. 1(1). We have recently provided £10,000 from the Home Office budget to secure the continuance of the national domestic violence helpline run by the Women's Aid Federation (England). For the future, funding issues are being examined in the context of the increased priority being given to the issue by this Government and the inter-departmental strategies currently being developed to combat domestic violence, both through prevention and through information and support for those who have already been victims.