HC Deb 05 March 2001 vol 364 cc23-4W
Mr. Don Foster

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many burglaries and personal attacks for residents of(a) housing blocks owned by local authorities and housing associations and (b) privately owned houses there were in the last 12 months. [151532]

Mr. Charles Clarke

[holding answer 27 February 2001]: Crimes recorded by the police do not provide this information. The most recent results available from the 2000 British crime survey relate to 1999, and estimate the number of burglaries and personal attacks against those in privately owned houses and those renting from social and private landlords. The survey cannot provide figures for people living in housing blocks owned by local authorities and housing associations as some blocks will have a tenure mix of owner occupiers, private tenants, and social renters. The figures for local authority/housing association properties will also include flats as well as houses. Table 1 gives the figures available.

Table 1: Estimated number of burglaries and violence incidents in 1999 (in thousands), by tenure type (British crime survey

estimates)

Tenure Burglary1 Violence2
Owner occupiers 596 1,652
Social rented sector 476 710
Private rented sector 237 703
1 Includes attempts and burglary with entry.
2 Comprises the following offences; robbery, snatch theft, wounding and common assault.

Note:

These estimates are based on the number of incidents per 10,000 households/individuals, multiplied up to represent the adult population of England and Wales.

Source:

2000 BCS.

Table 2 shows rates of victimisation in each sector (taking account of the varying number of householders in each). Tenants in private rented accommodation face the highest levels of both burglary and violent incidents, followed by social renters. The wider context needs to be borne in mind. For instance, rented accommodation is more common in urban and inner-city areas, where levels of crime are generally higher.

Table 2: Rates per 10,000 of burglaries and violent incidents in 1999, by tenure type (British crime survey)
Tenure Burglary1 Violence2
Owner occupiers 394 540
Social rented sector 1,040 960
Private rented sector 1,061 1,755
All 585 773
1 Includes attempts and burglary with entry.
2 Comprises the following offences; robbery, snatch theft, wounding and common assault.

Source:

2000 BCS.