Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many police cautions were issued in Copeland constituency in each of the last five years.

I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Ministry of Justice

Simple cautions (previously police cautions) are a non-statutory disposal available to the police to dispose of any offence committed by an adult designed for dealing with low level, mainly first time offending. The Ministry of Justice issues guidance on the process to be followed by the police and the CPS when they are administering simple cautions for adult offenders

The Government is clear that serious offences should always be brought to court, and to ensure that there is increased public confidence in the justice system, last year announced changes to stop the use of cautions for indictable only offences and certain serious either way offences unless there are exceptional circumstances and a senior police officer, as well as the CPS for certain cases, has agreed that a caution should be administered.

The MOJ guidance on Adult Simple Cautions was amended in November last year to reflect these changes, and we are legislating in the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill to place statutory restrictions around their use.

Information on cautions is not held by parliamentary constituency. This information may be on the police record, which can only be obtained at disproportionate cost