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Stop and Search: Vehicles

Volume 461: debated on Monday 18 June 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people whose vehicles have been stopped and searched under the Terrorism Act 2000 have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted of (i) a notifiable offence and (ii) a terrorism-related offence; and if he will make a statement. (142730)

The stops and search statistical collection, held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, identifies vehicles and occupiers searched under s44(1) of the Terrorism Act 2000 by resultant arrests only.

The information is not linked with details of any subsequent prosecutions and convictions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vehicles were stopped and searched in each police force area in England in each year from 1997-98 to 2007-08; how many of these vehicles in each year were stopped and searched under section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. (142731)

The available information is given in the following tables from 1998-99 to 2004-05 (latest available). Information on “vehicles only” searches is not available for 1997-98.

Total searches1 of vehicles2 and searches of vehicles under section 44(1) of the Terrorism Act 20003, by police force area in England, from 1998-99 to 2004-05

1998-99

1999-2000

2000-01

2001-02

Police force area

Total vehicles only searched

Vehicles only searched under s44(1) Terrorism Act

Total vehicles only searched

Vehicles only searched under s44(1) Terrorism Act

Total vehicles only searched

Vehicles only searched under s44(1) Terrorism Act

Total vehicles only searched

Vehicles only searched under s44(1) Terrorism Act

Avon and Somerset

749

672

399

504

Bedfordshire

40

58

39

53

Cambridgeshire

90

77

114

207

Cheshire

966

796

615

383

7

Cleveland

277

190

218

159

Cumbria

475

360

284

281

Derbyshire

1,259

1,583

501

437

5

Devon and Cornwall

944

702

601

709

2

Dorset

242

450

486

12

193

Durham

101

17

93

64

352

235

Essex

725

887

1,115

775

Gloucestershire

519

650

580

572

4

Greater Manchester

1,752

1,557

1,365

1,338

Hampshire

216

9

451

2

243

202

Hertfordshire

488

407

372

307

3

Humberside

6

144

23

Kent

7,231

3

5,684

2

2,662

39

1,231

Lancashire

n/a

n/a

620

438

700

Leicestershire

878

303

439

1,075

1

Lincolnshire

734

314

149

155

London, City of

6

4

13

3

27

14

7

1

Merseyside

1,095

581

1,753

1,770

Metropolitan police

5,373

710

2,626

72

5,074

2,276

4,072

1,108

Norfolk

522

346

463

1,091

Northamptonshire

181

337

278

268

Northumbria

1,147

632

437

377

North Yorkshire

402

6

386

205

3

251

Nottinghamshire

246

152

289

269

South Yorkshire

703

863

929

939

205

Staffordshire

212

174

149

205

Suffolk

813

1

490

306

262

Surrey

119

71

82

69

Sussex

480

639

811

73

825

64

Thames Valley

775

467

437

343

Warwickshire

304

424

331

272

West Mercia

479

3,416

2,317

1,093

West Midlands

247

35

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

West Yorkshire

4,310

4,510

3,219

4,910

Wiltshire

851

543

432

349

England

35,951

750

32,565

79

28,367

2,417

27,028

1,635

2002-032003-042004-05

Police force area

Total vehicles only searched

Vehicles only searched under s44(1) Terrorism Act

Total vehicles only searched

Vehicles only searched under s44(1) Terrorism Act

Total vehicles only searched

Vehicles only searched under s44(1) Terrorism Act

Avon and Somerset

697

587

265

Bedfordshire

48

48

16

Cambridgeshire

223

202

167

1

Cheshire

694

58

422

888

Cleveland

150

129

126

Cumbria

96

78

91

Derbyshire

433

424

366

Devon and Cornwall

481

295

2

92

Dorset

157

126

74

Durham

85

79

84

Essex

518

161

4

265

124

Gloucestershire

633

4

564

1

618

Greater Manchester

1,685

89

727

37

963

235

Hampshire

184

2

220

17

256

35

Hertfordshire

62

185

244

Humberside

170

144

164

Kent

548

8

n/a

n/a

n/a

Lancashire

633

696

611

Leicestershire

476

3

815

1,753

Lincolnshire

219

217

127

London, City of

67

42

29

24

51

21

Merseyside

1,313

202

147

Metropolitan police

14,373

10,198

5,558

4,157

4,033

2,935

Norfolk

132

2

180

164

Northamptonshire

296

246

79

Northumbria

365

193

236

40

North Yorkshire

227

180

50

3

Nottinghamshire

356

820

106

South Yorkshire

794

105

419

424

Staffordshire

214

279

161

Suffolk

321

1

153

204

Surrey

88

8

92

1

68

5

Sussex

477

32

496

10

604

59

Thames Valley

607

278

3

214

1

Warwickshire

229

173

105

West Mercia

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

West Midlands

n/a

n/a

46

106

West Yorkshire

7,804

1,116

1,430

Wiltshire

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

n/a

England

35,855

10,552

16,579

4,256

15,352

3,459

n/a = Not available. “Vehicles only” searches not separately identifiable from other searches recorded. 1 Total searches includes searches: under s1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and the Firearms Act 1968; also included are other legislation which relates to searches under other powers, such as under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989 s15 (which since 19 February 2001 has been replaced by section 43 of the Terrorism Act 2000); various poaching and wildlife conservation legislation; the Aviation Security Act 1982, s27(1); the Customs and Excise Management Act 1979, s163 and 164; and the Sporting Events (control of Alcohol, etc) Act 1985; s60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994; and s44(1) and 44(2) of the Terrorism Act 2000 (formerly s13A and 13B of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989. 2 Searches may be conducted on vehicles only, occupants only or both may be searched. Where a vehicle and driver occupier are searched simultaneously the search is recorded against the driver (occupant). Any other passengers searched are recorded as occupants. Data given in the table are where a “vehicle only” has been searched. 3 S44(1) of the Terrorism Act 2000 (formerly s13A of the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989). Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these data are used. Source: Stops/Searches collection held by Office for Criminal Justice Reform.