To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the (a) number of convictions, (b)
conviction rate as a percentage of prosecutions brought and (c) rate of convictions
as a percentage of crimes reported was for (i) murder, (ii) grievous bodily harm,
(iii) sexual offences, (iv) burglary, (v) robbery, (vi) theft, (vii) criminal damage,
(viii) public order offences, (ix) drug offences, (x) driving offences and (xi) all
offences in (A) Elmbridge, (B) Surrey, (C) the South East of England and (D) England
in each of the last five years.
<p>Crime is falling and is at its lowest level since records began in 1981, as per
the Crime Survey in England and Wales. Since 2010 those who do offend are more likely
to go to prison and for longer than ever before. For the first time in ten years,
an immediate prison sentence is the most common disposal for indictable offences.<br>
<br>This follows a series of measures by the Government to toughen up sentencing and
make sure those who commit these crimes face a significant term in prison, including
an automatic life sentence for a second serious sexual or violent offence. <br><br>There
are also several measures to strengthen sentencing in the Criminal Justice and Courts
Bill, which has completed its passage through Parliament and awaits Royal Assent.
These include ensuring that all dangerous offenders who receive the tough Extended
Determinate Sentence (EDS) are no longer automatically released two-thirds of the
way through their custodial term. The Government has also banned the use of simple
cautions for serious offences. <br> <br>We are also determined that our justice system
delivers the right outcomes for victims of crime and the public as a whole, and we
have made great strides in recent years – not least through smarter use of technology,
and joined-up working.<br><br>The number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates’
courts and found guilty, along with conviction ratio at all courts of the offences
specified in the question from 2009 to 2013 can be viewed in the tables as detailed
below:-<br><br>Figures for Surrey can be viewed in Table 1<br>Figures for the South
East of England can be viewed in Table 2<br>Figures for England as a whole can be
viewed in Table 3<br><br>There are no courts in the Borough of Elmbridge; hence the
figure for that portion of the question is zero. The Ministry of Justice court proceedings
database cannot specifically identify the exact location of offences. These figures
are based on the location of the court hearing the case.<br><br>Conviction ratio is
provided in place of conviction rate as a case can be commenced in one year and concluded
in a subsequent year.<br><br>A defendant may be convicted in a different year to that
in which they were proceeded against. Variation in the conviction ratio can be caused
either by a change in the percentage of cases that end in conviction or by a change
in the percentage of cases that end in a conviction in the same year as the original
proceeding. Therefore fluctuations in data, particularly in the last year for which
figures are available can be misleading. <br><br>Rates of convictions as a percentage
of reported crime cannot be provided. The Home Office collects data on the number
of notifiable offences recorded by the police. Of these, some crimes may be subsequently
‘no crimed’ (for example if it is believed a crime did not actually take place or
was incorrectly recorded as a crime).<br><br>Therefore, conviction rates as a percentage
of recorded crime could therefore present a misleading picture.<br><br>Court proceedings
data for 2014 are planned for publication in Spring 2015.</p>