Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the Answers of 25 October 2023 to Question 203472 on Hare Coursing: Convictions and Prosecutions and 28 February 2018 to Question 129098 on Hare Coursing: Prosecutions, when the Crown Prosecution Service ceased maintaining a central record of the number of prosecutions for offences of hare coursing; and for what reason.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has never maintained a central record of the number of prosecutions specifically for offences of hare coursing and only holds data on the number of offences prosecuted under the Game Act 1831, the Night Poaching Act 1828 and the Hunting Act 2004, which all encompass hare coursing.
The CPS does not collect data that constitutes official statistics as defined in the Statistics and Registration Act 2007.
While the CPS does not centrally collate data showing the number of prosecutions involving hare coursing, management information data is available which shows the number of offences charged by way of the Game Act 1831, the Night Poaching Act 1928 and the Hunting Act 2004, in which a prosecution commenced. The table below shows the number of these offences recorded during each of the last three years.
| Financial Year 2020-2021 | Financial Year 2021-2022 | Financial Year 2022-2023 |
Game Act 1831 | 53 | 121 | 67 |
Hunting Act 2004 | 28 | 86 | 82 |
Night Poaching Act 1828 | 21 | 28 | 40 |
Data Source: CPS Case Management System
It should be noted that the figures relate to the number of offences and not the number of individual defendants. It may be the case that an individual defendant is charged with more than one offence. No data are held on the final outcome or if the charged offence was the substantive charge at finalisation.
The official statistics relating to crime and policing are maintained by the Home Office and the official statistics relating to sentencing, criminal court proceedings, offenders brought to justice, the courts and the judiciary are maintained by the Ministry of Justice.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been relating to the offence of hare coursing in each year from 2016 to date.
Answered by Michael Tomlinson - Minister of State (Minister for Illegal Migration)
Offences of hare coursing may be prosecuted using offences created by the Game Act 1831, the Night Poaching Act 1828 and the Hunting Act 2004.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of prosecutions for offences of hare coursing. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Richard Fuller (Conservative - North East Bedfordshire)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, how many prosecutions have been brought under the Fraud Act 2006 in each year since 2009.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of prosecutions brought under the Fraud Act 2006. However, records are held showing the overall number of offences charged in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts (the distinction being that some prosecutions involved multiple offences). These figures are detailed in the following table:
Year | Number of offences charged under the Fraud Act 2006 in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ court* |
2009-10 | 27,759 |
2010-11 | 29,592 |
2011-12 | 28,164 |
2012-13 | 26,581 |
2013-14 | 25,832 |
2014-15 | 26,113 |
* Data Source: CPS management information system
The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigates and, where appropriate, prosecutes the topmost tier of serious or complex fraud cases. The SFO charges offences under the most appropriate legislation in each investigation, and not only the Fraud Act.
The number of individuals charged by the SFO for offences under the Fraud Act (2006) is shown in the table below.
Year | Number of individuals charged under the Fraud Act 2006* |
2009 | 5 |
2010 | 7 |
2011 | 2 |
2012 | 2 |
2013 | 4 |
2014 | 1 |
2015 | 6 |
* This type of casework information for the years prior to 2012 was not collated centrally in the same way and so the information for these years reflects the records from the time.