To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list for the Strathclyde police force area how many (a) children and (b) adults are known to have gone missing for each of the last five years for which he has records; and how many were subsequently traced.
I understand from the chief constable of Strathclyde police that the available information is as follows:
| Year | Missing person reports received by the police | Persons traced (as at 31 December 1990) |
| (a) Children (aged under 16) | ||
| 1986 | 5,582 | 5,582 |
| 1987 | 5,701 | 5,701 |
Year
| Missing person reports received by the police
| Persons traced (as at 31 December 1990)
|
| 1988 | 4,733 | 4,732 |
| 1989 | 4,411 | 4,411 |
| 1990 | 4,604 | 4,592 |
(b) Adults (aged 16 or more)
| ||
| 1986 | 3,139 | 3,135 |
| 1987 | 3,442 | 3,440 |
| 1988 | 3,767 | 3,762 |
| 1989 | 3,862 | 3,854 |
| 1990 | 3,559 | 3,525 |
Notes:
1. The information given relates to reports rather than individuals. Thus if the same person was reported missing on more than one occasion he will have been the subject of more than one report.
2. The information given does not include reports of persons missing from local authority residential establishments, prison establishments or the State Hospital, Carstairs.
3. Of the children untraced at 31 December 1990, two had been missing for more than 28 days.