<p>Information held centrally by the Ministry of Justice extracted from the police national computer does not include the circumstances behind each case beyond the description provided in the statute. It is not possible to separately identify from this centrally</p><p><?notus-xml column=324?></p><p>held information cautions given to perpetrators for the offence of domestic violence from other cautions given for offences of assault and violence against the person. As such, this information is available only at disproportionate costs. Guidance published by the Ministry of Justice makes it clear that simple cautions should not be ordinarily used to dispose of offences involving domestic abuse.</p>