To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been for offences under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, for each police force area for each year since its implementation. [4624]
[holding answer 24 June 1997]: The information on these offences, which involve offences against wild, captive and protected animals, birds and plants, is given in the table:
Number of prosecutions under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, 1982–1995
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England and Wales
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Police Force area
| 1982
| 1983
| 1984
| 1985
| 1986
| 1987
| 1988
| 1989
| 1990
| 1991
| 1992
| 1993
| 1994
| 1995
|
| Devon and Cornwall | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 3 | — | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Dorset | — | 1 | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | 1 |
| Durham | 9 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 2 | — | 2 | — |
| Essex | — | 3 | — | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 2 | — |
| Gloucestershire | 1 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | — | 10 | 1 | 1 | 3 | — | 1 |
| Greater Manchester | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 1 | — |
| Hampshire | — | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Hertfordshire | — | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 3 | — | 3 | — | — | 2 |
| Humberside | 6 | 3 | 2 | 4 | — | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Kent | — | 1 | — | — | 5 | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 | — | 1 |
| Lancashire | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 7 |
| Leicestershire | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | — |
| Lincolnshire | 5 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | — | 1 | 1 | — | 4 | 2 | — |
| Merseyside | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | — | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 3 |
| Metropolitan Police1 | 27 | 33 | 41 | 32 | 25 | 17 | 36 | 30 | 34 | 6 | 12 | 22 | 46 | 40 |
| Norfolk | — | — | 1 | 4 | — | 1 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
| Northamptonshire | 3 | 1 | 4 | — | 4 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | — |
| Northumbria | 11 | 2 | 10 | 48 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 8 |
| North Yorkshire | 6 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 |
| Nottinghamshire | 3 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | — | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| South Yorkshire | 7 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Staffordshire | 11 | 6 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 16 |
| Suffolk | — | — | — | 2 | — | — | — | — | 6 | 2 | — | 2 | — | 1 |
| Surrey | 1 | — | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| Sussex | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 3 | — | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| Thames Valley | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | — | 3 | 1 | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Warwickshire | 5 | 9 | 6 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 2 | — | 1 | 2 | — | 1 | 1 |
| West Mercia | 8 | 5 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 |
| West Midlands | 9 | 6 | 18 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 5 | — | — | 6 |
| West Yorkshire | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | — | 6 | — | — | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Wiltshire | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | — | 2 | — | — | 5 | 2 |
| Dyfed Powys | 2 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 1 |
| Gwent | 10 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | — |
| North Wales | 2 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| South Wales | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 4 | — | 5 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| England and Wales | 148 | 141 | 183 | 228 | 155 | 109 | 134 | 139 | 159 | 121 | 105 | 135 | 130 | 137 |
1Includes City of London. From 1990 onwards prosecutions for offences committed under Section 13 of the Act (protection of wild plants) are not included as they are not identifiable from other summary offences. | ||||||||||||||