Crime

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on crime. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

DateDescription
19.07.2013Crime: Social Indicators page
Crime: Social Indicators page. By Gavin Berman and Roderick McInnes. SN/SG/2617.
14.06.2013Introducing 'Payment by Results' in Offender Rehabilitation and other reforms
The Ministry of Justice plans to allow organisations from the voluntary and private sectors to provide rehabilitation services in the community for low and medium risk offenders. New providers would be paid according to the reductions in re-offending they achieve. It is also legislating through the Offender Rehabilitation Bill to introduce and extend statutory supervision periods for short-sentence offenders. The Ministry of Justice says these and other proposals set out in the Government's Transforming Rehabilitation strategy document (published 9 May 2013) will help to reduce reoffending while continuing to protect the public.
06.06.2013Knives and offensive weapons
This note summarises the legislation which governs the possession and sale of knives and other offensive weapons. It includes an overview of recent developments such as the Tackling Knives Action Programme and Brooke Kinsella's review of anti-knife crime projects.
24.05.2013The Protection from Harassment Act 1997
This note gives a broad outline of the criminal and civil remedies which the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 can give.
14.05.2013Domestic violence
Domestic violence accounted for 15% of all violent incidents in 2011/12. Nearly one third of women and nearly one fifth of men say they have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16. This standard note looks at the Goverment's policy on this area.

Research Papers

DateDescription
04.06.2013Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill
This Bill, which is wide-ranging, will receive its second reading in the House of Commons on 10 June 2013. Amongst other changes, it would reform the 'tool kit' of remedies for anti-social behaviour; amend the law on dangerous dogs; introduce new firearms offences; criminalise forced marriage; give powers to the new College of Policing; implement some of the Winsor report's recommendations on police remuneration; provide new powers for the Independent Police Complaints Commission; and make changes to compensation for miscarriage of justice.
08.03.2013Crime and Courts Bill [HL]: Committee Stage Report
The Crime and Courts Bill would, amongst other things, establish a new National Crime Agency, change the law on self defence for householders defending themselves from intruders, make changes to community sentences and immigration appeal rights and introduce a new drug driving offence. The Government made a number of substantive amendments in Committee, including on bailiffs, proceeds of crime and extradition.
01.03.2013Social Indicators
A compendium of the latest social statistics. This edition includes articles on: Why has crime fallen around the world?; International Year of Statistics.
09.01.2013Crime and Courts Bill [HL]
The Bill would establish a new National Crime Agency and make a number of changes to the administration of justice. It also deals with the law of self defence as it applies to householders defending themselves from intruders; makes changes to community sentences and to immigration appeal rights; and introduces a new drug driving offence.
29.11.2012Police and Crime Commissioner Elections, 2012
On Thursday 15 November 2012 the first ever elections for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) took place in England and Wales, outside of London. The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 replaced police authorities with directly elected PCCs. The 41 police areas each elected one PCC. The supplementary vote system was used for the elections. This Research Paper analyses the results

Select Committee Reports

DateDescription
31.10.2011Government response to the seventh report of the Science and Technology Select Committee on the Forensic...
Government response. Science and Technology Select Committee report [Commons]
05.07.2011Draft sentencing guidelines: drugs and burglary.
Justice Select Committee report [Commons]
22.06.2011Forensic Science Service.
Science and Technology Select Committee report [Commons]
08.03.2011The National DNA Database.
Government response. Home Affairs Select Committee; Home Office report [Commons]
18.01.2011Money laundering: data protection for suspicious activity reports.
European Union Select Committee (HL) report [Lords]

Early Day Motions

DateDescription
11.01.2012DISTRACTION BURGLARIES
That this House notes the rise of so-called distraction burglaries on vulnerable elderly people; expresses condemnation on those who would carry out these attacks; calls on the police ...
02.11.2011THEFT OF METALS FROM WAR MEMORIALS AND PLACES OF WORSHIP
That this House notes with concern the recent spate of reports of metal thefts from war memorials and places of worship; denounces recent thefts such as the four foot bronze statue ...
15.09.2011MOBILE TELEPHONE THEFTS
That this House notes that customers are liable for the cost of telephone calls incurred on their mobile telephones after they are stolen and before the theft is noticed and reported; ...
05.09.2011SCRAP METAL THEFT
That this House notes with concern the increasing prevalence of scrap metal theft; denounces the recent desecration of the Civilian War Memorial in Portsmouth's Kingston Cemetery and ...
14.07.2011DRIVING WHEN TIRED
That this House notes that driving after little sleep, or failing to take regular breaks duringlong drives, is lethal, with one in five fatal crashes on motorways and other monotonous ...

Lords Library Notes

DateDescription
16.05.2013Offender Rehabilitation Bill [HL] (HL Bill 2 of 2013-14)
The Offender Rehabilitation Bill would provide increased support and supervision upon release for those serving prison sentences of up to two years, and would make changes to the arrangements for community orders and suspended sentence orders. This Library Note provides background reading in advance of the Bill's second reading in the House of Lords.
23.01.2012Question for Short Debate on 2 February: Human Trafficking
This Lords Library Note provides definitions of human trafficking, statistics on its incidence, and an outline of domestic and international policy to combat the problem.
03.11.2011Protection of Freedoms Bill (HL Bill 99 of 2010-12)
This Library Note provides background information in advance of the Protection of Freedoms Bill's second reading in the House of Lords.
07.04.2011Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill (HL Bill 62 of 2010-11)
This Library Note provides background reading for the second reading debate of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill.
14.03.2011Debate on 17 March: Bribery, Tax Avoidance, Corruption and Money Laundering
This Library Note provides background reading for the debate on the UK's record on legislation regarding bribery, tax avoidance, corruption and money laundering.
08.10.2010Debate on 14 October 2010: Human trafficking. LLN 2010/022
Debate on 14 October 2010: Human trafficking. House of Lords Library Note 2010/022

POST Papers

DateDescription
01.10.2006Computer crime,October 2006
Computer crime, October 2006. POSTnote 06/271.

Glossary

  • Research Papers (RP) - briefings produced by the House of Commons Library on Bills, topical issues and regular statistics
  • Standard Notes (SN) - shorter, topical briefings from the Commons Library
  • Early Day Motions (EDMs) - formal motions submitted by MPs in the House of Commons
  • POST Notes - short briefing notes produced by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
  • Lords Library Notes (LLN) - papers compiled by the House of Lords Library on Bills and for debates in the Lords