§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the(a) conviction rate and (b) clear up rate (i) for each category of crime and (ii) on average (1) at the last available date and (2) in each of the previous two years; and if he will make a statement. [58459]
§ Mr. BoatengThe information requested is given in the tables. Figures for clear-ups and convictions are not directly comparable because clear-ups relate to offences and convictions relate to offenders.
Table A: Conviction rate1 for indictable offences by offence group, England and Wales, 1995–19972 Offence Group 1995 1996 19972 Violence against the person 48 47 49 Sexual offences 64 68 64 Burglary 67 64 64 Robbery 52 52 52 Theft and handling stolen goods 73 73 74 Fraud and forgery 70 70 70 Criminal damage 59 58 60 Drug offences 83 84 84 Other (excluding motoring) 54 53 54 Motoring offences 74 74 77 Total indictable offences 65 65 66 1Offenders found guilty at all courts as a percentage of defendants prosecuted at magistrates' courts. 2Provisional
Table B: Clear-up rate for notifiable offences by offence group England and Wales Percentage offences cleared up1 Offence Group 1995 1996 1997 Violence against the person 77 77 78 Sexual offences 76 76 76 Burglary 21 21 23 Robbery 23 26 27 Theft and handling stolen goods 23 23 24 Fraud and forgery 50 49 48 Criminal damage2 19 17 19 Other offences3 96 96 95 Total 26 26 28 1Offences cleared-up in one year may have been initially recorded in an earlier year. 2Excluding criminal damage £20 and under. 3Includes trafficking in controlled drugs.