§ Mr. WigginTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the level of burglary was in Wales in 1997; what it was in 2002; and if he will make a statement. [139293]
§ Mr. TouhigThe number of burglary offences recorded in 1997 was 46,445. In 2002–03, it was 36,848.
There was a change in the counting rules for recorded crime from 1998, which had the effect of increasing the number of crimes counted, and therefore, the number of offences are not directly comparable.