§ Mr. WoodwardTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many offences there were and what the rate of incidence per 1,000 population was of(a) violence against the person, (b) sexual offences, (c) robbery, (d) burglary, (e) theft and handling stolen goods, (f) fraud and forgery, (g) criminal damage and (h) drug and other offences in (i) St Helens, (ii) Merseyside, (iii) the North West and (iv) England in (A) 1997, (B) 1998, (C) 1999, (D) 2000 and (E) 2001; [71276]
Recorded crimes by offence group—St Helens1 Offence Group Offences Recorded 1999–2000 Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded 2000–01 Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded 2001–02 Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Violence against the person 1,693 9.5 69 1,795 10.1 74 1,913 10.7 69 Sexual offences 109 0.6 68 153 0.9 79 125 0.7 Robbery 171 1.0 21 168 0.9 27 214 1.2 36 Burglary in a dwelling 15 14 17 1Full details of the other groups were not collected in the time period requested. 
Recorded crimes by offence group—Merseyside Offence group Offences recorded 1997 Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offence cleared up 1998–99 offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded 1999–2000 Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded 2000–01 Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Offences recorded 2001–02 Offences per 1,000 population Percentage cleared up Violence against the person 8,083 5.7 69 12,208 8.6 74 14,639 10.4 69 15,855 11.3 71 16,030 11.4 64 Sexual offences 906 0.6 82 1,019 0.7 73 935 0.7 67 982 0.7 68 1,018 0.7 55 Robbery 2,141 1.5 25 2,484 1.8 23 2,663 1.9 18 2,405 1.7 21 3,155 2.3 19 Burglary 26,266 18.5 26 26,498 18.8 22 25,638 18.2 12 23,938 17.1 13 25,478 18.2 12 Burglary in dwelling 30 27 15 17 15 Theft and Handling 58,520 41.2 29 59,044 41.8 24 62,230 44.2 19 57,844 41.2 21 59,698 42.5 19 Fraud and Forgery 4,269 3.0 59 4,884 3.5 59 4,794 3.4 55 5,021 3.6 53 5,380 3.8 28 Criminal damage 23,677 16.7 15 27,465 19.4 12 30,822 21.9 11 30,593 21.8 12 33,899 24.2 10 Drug offences 5,620 4.0 95 4,838 3.4 99 4,421 3.2 97 4,390 3.1 95 Other offences 2,117 1.5 97 1,652 1.2 90 1,613 1.1 82 1,748 1.3 79 1,886 1.3 76 Total 125,979 88.7 31 14,0874 99.7 31 14,8172 105.1 26 14,2807 101.7 28 15.0934 107.6 24