HC Deb 24 February 2003 vol 400 cc334-5W
Lynne Jones

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his estimate is of the proportion of violent crimes in each of the last five years where(a) alcohol and (b) illegal drug use were involved. [98173]

Mr. Denham

Police-recorded crime statistics can not provide information on the proportion of violent crime where alcohol and/or illegal drug use are involved. The British Crime Survey (BCS) reports on the victim's perception of offenders in violent incidents. Violent crime measured by the BCS can be classified into four sub-groups: domestic, mugging, stranger and acquaintance violence. The following tables show the proportion of violent incidents in which victims felt that the offender/s was under the influence of drink or drugs, firstly for all violence reported to the survey and then separately for the breakdown by individual types of violence. It should be noted that sweeps of the BCS were not conducted in 1997 or 1999.

Table 1. Whether offender/s under the influence of drink or drugs in violent incidents (1998 BCS, 2000 BCS, 2001–02 BCS interviews)
All violence
1998 BCS 2000 BCS 2001–02 BCS Interviews
Under influence of drink (percentage) (percentage) (percentage)
Yes 42 40 47
No 48 50 44
Don't know 10 9 9
Unweighted 942 1,052 1,341
Under influence of drugs (percentage) (percentage) (percentage)
Yes 18 18 21
No 54 55 56
Don't know 29 27 23
Unweighted 942 7,052 1,341

Notes:

1Source 1998 BCS, 2000 BCS, and 2001–02 BCS interviews.

2 Not asked if offender identified as under school age. In 1998 there was one incident of acquaintance violence where the offender was said to be under school age

3 Figures may differ from those previously published due to a revision in the weighting process.

Table 2. Whether offender/s under the influence of drink or drugs by typology of violence (1998 BCS, 2000 BCS, 2001–02 BCS interviews)
Domestic Mugging Stranger Acquaintance
1998 2000 2001–02 1998 2000 2001–02 1998 2000 2001–02 1998 2000 2001–02
Under influence of drugs (percentage) (percentage) (percentage) (percentage)
Yes 10 13 17 15 20 14 22 16 20 19 22 27
No 81 80 74 31 45 55 35 38 42 57 56 58
Don't 9 7 9 53 35 31 43 46 38 24 22 15
know
Unweighted 195 229 243 150 125 279 250 308 453 347 390 426
Notes:

Notes:

1. Source 1998 BCS, 2000 BCS, and 2001–02 BCS interviews.

2. Not asked if offender identified as under school age. In 1998 there was one incident of acquaintance violence where the offender was said to be under school age.

3. Results for mugging should be treated with caution due to the small number of incidents.

4. Figures may differ from those previously published due to a revision in the weighting process.