Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the increase in the level of reported crime in South Tyneside between April 2017 and March 2018; and if he will make a statement.

Police recorded crime figures for England and Wales are published quarterly by the Home Office.

Total crime recorded (excluding fraud) in South Tyneside Community Service Partnership has increased by 21% in the year to March 2018 compared to year to March 2017.

Nationally total police recorded crime (including fraud) increased by 11% in the year ending March 2018 compared with the previous year. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) points to improvements to recording practices by forces, expanded offence coverage, an increased willingness of victims to come forward and report certain crimes like sexual offences and domestic abuse to the police and genuine increases in some crime categories, especially in those that are well recorded, as important factors in explaining trends in police recorded crime.

Overall crime (excluding fraud) measured by the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales are down by 35% since 2010.

The most recent national crime figures are published by the Office for National Statistic in ‘Crime in England and Wales: year ending March 2018’ (https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2018).