Tuesday 29th March 2011

(13 years, 7 months ago)

Ministerial Corrections
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Philip Davies Portrait Philip Davies
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To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many assaults on police officers resulted in (a) custodial and (b) non-custodial sentences in the latest period for which figures are available;

(2) how many cautions were issued in each of the last three years for triable offences.
[Official Report, 10 March 2011, Vol. 524, c. 1271W.]
Letter of correction from Mr Crispin Blunt:
An error has been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) on 10 March 2011. The figures in table 2 were incorrect.
The full answer given was as follows:
Crispin Blunt Portrait Mr Blunt
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

The number of defendants sentenced and given an immediate custody for an assault on a constable at all courts, in England and Wales for 2009 (latest available) is provided in table 1. This is a summary only offence which is charged where little or no physical harm is involved. Where there are more serious injuries this would result in a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and it is not possible to say how many convictions for this offence arise from assaults on police officers.

The number of offenders cautioned for indictable only offences in England and Wales, 2007 to 2009 (latest available) is provided in table 2.

Data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.

Table 1: Number of defendants sentenced and given an immediate custody for assault on a constable1 at all courts, England and Wales, 20092,3

Statute

Offence

Sentenced

Custodial sentence

Other disposals4

Police Act 1996

Assault on a constable

9,201

1,457

7,744

1 Police Act 1996 s.89(1)—Assault on a constable.

2 The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their Inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

4 Other disposals include: absolute discharge, conditional discharge, fine, community sentence, suspended sentence and otherwise dealt with.

Source:

Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice



Table 2: Number of offenders cautioned1,2 for indictable only offences, England and Wales, 2007-093

2007

2008

2009

Indictable only

5,371

1,945

1,405

1 The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.

2 From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals.

3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Source:

Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice



The correct answer should have been:

Crispin Blunt Portrait Mr Blunt
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

The number of defendants sentenced and given an immediate custody for an assault on a constable at all courts, in England and Wales for 2009 (latest available) is provided in table 1. This is a summary only offence which is charged where little or no physical harm is involved. Where there are more serious injuries this would result in a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and it is not possible to say how many convictions for this offence arise from assaults on police officers.

The number of offenders cautioned for indictable only offences in England and Wales, 2007 to 2009 (latest available) is provided in table 2.

Data for 2010 are planned for publication in the spring of 2011.

Table 1: Number of defendants sentenced and given an immediate custody for assault on a constable1 at all courts, England and Wales, 20092,3

Statute

Offence

Sentenced

Custodial sentence

Other disposals4

Police Act 1996

Assault on a constable

9,201

1,457

7,744

1 Police Act 1996 s.89(1)—Assault on a constable.

2 The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.

3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their Inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

4 Other disposals include: absolute discharge, conditional discharge, fine, community sentence, suspended sentence and otherwise dealt with.

Source:

Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice



Table 2: Number of offenders cautioned1,2 for indictable only offences, England and Wales, 2007-093

2007

2008

2009

Indictable only

2,676

1,945

1,405

1 The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When an offender has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.

2 From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and warnings. These figures have been included in the totals.

3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Source:

Justice Statistics Analytical Services—Ministry of Justice