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<p>The Home Office does not hold the information requested and does not specifically
collect data from police forces on acid and other corrosive attacks as part of its
regular data collection. Acid and other corrosive attacks resulting in injury are
included in Office for National Statistics published statistics within assault with
injury offences and assault with intent to cause serious harm offences, but cannot
be disaggregated.</p><p>The National Police Chiefs’ Council undertook a voluntary
data collection from police forces between November 2016 and April 2017 and 39 forces
provided returns. This found that there had been 408 cases of attacks in the six month
period. These figures must be treated with caution, as they are not official statistics
and have not been subject to the usual assurance processes. We are working closely
with the National Police Chiefs’ Council lead on what action can be taken to improve
recording and a further data collection is underway.</p><p>In July the Home Secretary
announced an action plan to tackle the use of acid and other corrosives in violent
attacks. This is based on four key strands: ensuring effective support for victims
and survivors; effective policing; ensuring that relevant legislation is understood
and consistently applied, and restricting access to acids and other harmful products.
We are continuing to progress the plan.</p><p>In addition, we are currently consulting
on proposals to prohibit the sale of products containing the most harmful corrosive
substances to under 18s, create a new offence of possession of a corrosive substance
in a public place without good reason and create a minimum custodial sentence for
those convicted of a second or subsequent possession offence. We have also announced
our intention to make sulphuric acid a regulated substance under Schedule 1a to the
Poisons Act 1972. This would mean you will need to have a licence to purchase sulphuric
acid above a certain concentration.</p>
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