Written question asked by David Davis (Conservative) on Monday, 13 December 2004, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 21 December 2004. It was answered by Hazel Blears (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 December 2004 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many knife crimes took place in each (a) month and (b) year since 1997, broken down by police authority; and how many resulted in (i) fatal injury, (ii) serious injury and (iii) minor injury in each case.

Answer: David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many knife crimes took place in each (a) month and (b) year since 1997, broken down by police authority; and how many resulted in (i) fatal injury, (ii) serious injury and (iii) minor injury in each case. [205356] Ms Blears: The number of offences involving knives is not separated out in the recorded crime statistics. Therefore no information is available on knife offences causing serious or minor injury. The Homicide Index holds details on the number of homicides where the apparent method of killing was the use of a sharp instrument. The available information from 1997-98 to 2002-03 is given in the following table. This information is not published at police force area level. Homicides involving the use of a sharp instrument _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Number 1997-98 202 1998-99 202 1999-2000 213 2000-01 214 2001-02 262 2002-03 272 _________________________________________________________________________________________________.

Secondary information