§ Mr. LevittTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his most recent estimate is of the level538W of crime per 1,000 of population in (a) rural and (b) urban areas; and which category of crime is commonest in (i) rural and (ii) urban areas. [136832]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeEstimates of the number of crimes per 1,000 population in rural and urban areas can be derived from the 2000 British Crime Survey (BCS). The 2000 BCS interviewed a core random sample of 19,411 adults (those aged 16 and over) living in private households in England and Wales about their experience of crime during 1999.
There is no commonly agreed definition of rural areas. The definition of rural areas used in the BCS is based on those parts of England and Wales falling within A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods (ACORN) categories 1 to 9, and 27. These categories were developed by CACI Ltd. and classify areas according to the demographic, employment and housing characteristics. They account for an estimated 24 per cent. of the adult population in 1999. Estimated crime rates per 1,000 population are given in table 1. BCS data have been used in this answer, rather than recorded crime data, owing to the better division of rural and urban areas in the BCS.
Table 1: Estimated number of crimes per 1,000 population1 in England and Wales in 1999 Number Non-rural 390 Rural 235 All 350 1Based on results from the 2000 British Crime Survey. Estimates of adults per household, based on figures supplied by CACI Ltd., have been used in forming these estimates. In both urban and rural areas the estimated average number of adults per household is two in rural areas and 1.9 in non-rural areas. Full details of the offences covered by the British Crime Survey are given in Home Office Statistical Bulletin 18/00, which has been deposited in the Library.
Vandalism and vehicle-related thefts are the most common types of offences against households in both rural and urban areas, according to the BCS. The most common type of crime against the person is common assault, again in both areas. These are assaults in which there is either no injury or at most minimal injury.
The incident rates for these crimes are shown in table 2. For household crimes, rates are quoted per 1,000 households.
Table 2: Incident rates for most common crimes per 1.000 population or households1 Non-rural Rural All Personal crimes Incident rates per 1,000 households Common assault 58 35 53 Household crimes Incident rates per 1,000 households All motor vehicle-related thefts2 143 109 135 Vandalism3 145 84 130 1 I Based on results from the 2000 British Crime Survey. 2 Include theft of or from motor vehicles, including attempts. 3 Vandalism of motor vehicles is included within vandalism.