Written question asked by Peter Lloyd (Conservative) on Monday, 15 June 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 June 1998. It was answered by Alun Michael (Labour) on Monday, 22 June 1998 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what evidence he has evaluated on the relative re-offending rates of those convicted of sexual offences and those convicted of other categories of offence. - Inc ref to 'Reconvictions of prisoners discharged from prison in 1993', 'Reconvictions of those commencing community penalties in 1993' and 'The prevalence of convictions for sexual offending'. - Copies in Library.

Answer: Sir Peter Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence he has evaluated on the relative re-offending rates of those convicted of sexual offences and those convicted of other categories of offence. [46492] Mr. Michael: Information on known re-offending, as measured by reconvictions, is derived from regular samples drawn from the Offenders Index, a database of criminal careers maintained by the Home Office. The most recently published analysis of reconviction rates of those convicted of sexual and other offences appeared in Home Office Statistical Bulletins 5/97, "Reconvictions of prisoners discharged from prison in 1993", and Home Office Bulletin 6/97, "Reconvictions of those commencing community penalties in 1993". A fuller analysis of convictions and reconvictions for sexual offending was published in 1997 as Home Office Research Findings Number 55, "The prevalence of convictions for sexual offending". Copies of these publications are in the Library.

Secondary information