Violence against women includes crimes such as rape, domestic violence, forced marriage, sexual exploitation and trafficking, and I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer for question 2272115 November 2008, Official Report, column 556W. The following table provides a breakdown by police force area for recorded offences of rape of a female for the last five years.
Number of offences Police force area 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 Avon and Somerset 447 427 295 393 352 Bedfordshire 139 149 188 141 106 British Transport Police 25 39 17 16 14 Cambridgeshire 216 219 193 193 198 Cheshire 172 184 165 150 140 Cleveland 139 135 158 125 130 Cumbria 71 73 73 63 78 Derbyshire 221 257 253 253 217 Devon and Cornwall 303 348 361 355 360 Dorset 137 149 166 115 192 Durham 68 83 129 76 117 Dyfed-Powys 99 94 79 92 66 Essex 316 320 352 324 264 Gloucestershire 97 105 145 150 130 Greater Manchester 790 812 769 767 712 Gwent 77 103 112 132 164 Hampshire 439 573 618 592 549 Hertfordshire 149 179 197 179 163 Humberside 330 286 323 264 237 Kent 268 329 413 368 379 Lancashire 241 249 299 257 232 Leicestershire 238 291 287 275 315 Lincolnshire 156 164 169 147 154 London, City of 3 7 5 8 3 Merseyside 360 342 356 274 231 Metropolitan Police 2,417 2,282 2,249 2,144 1,792 Norfolk 196 170 209 147 128 Northamptonshire 144 116 152 147 138 Northumbria 305 306 325 307 232 North Wales 132 148 156 99 142 North Yorkshire 115 132 134 128 121 Nottinghamshire 273 230 236 223 209 South Wales 177 165 193 240 232 South Yorkshire 170 261 294 241 219 Staffordshire 226 275 267 265 224 Suffolk 166 169 192 161 151 Surrey 138 120 135 134 144 Sussex 276 414 399 413 293 Thames Valley 409 377 425 411 356 Warwickshire 73 83 75 93 96 West Mercia 210 199 212 208 229 West Midlands 747 882 856 834 748 West Yorkshire 572 526 558 579 563 Wiltshire 131 97 138 141 128 England and Wales 12,378 12,869 13,327 12,624 11,648