The requested information is contained in the following tables. The maximum sentence is available for the most serious possible case of a particular crime. The average sentence for an offence will, rightly, fall well below the maximum.
Number of persons Offence description 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Possession Class A 6,485 8,167 9,720 10,439 11,548 11.417 10,985 10,737 10,728 11,469 Possession Class B 20,910 27,359 26,687 23,210 22,960 26,139 28,093 8,568 4,362 3,836 Possession Class C 145 187 159 117 371 533 515 8,304 12,170 12,688 Supplying Class A 3,632 3,634 4,098 4,528 5,158 5,253 5,679 5,821 5,975 5,721 Supplying Class B 5,201 5,571 4,484 3,323 2,315 2,346 2,394 1,638 722 568 Supplying Class C 110 97 94 56 57 61 73 832 1,806 2,048 1 These data are on the principle offence basis. Source: OCJR E and A
Number of persons Offence description 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Possessing class A 548 816 966 1,000 1.109 988 907 788 796 796 Possessing class B 395 624 634 460 372 316 370 174 122 112 Possessing class C 13 12 9 6 11 16 7 82 140 175 Supply class A 2,863 2,807 3,320 3,631 4,031 4,064 4,415 4,551 4,203 4,056 Supply class B 643 729 510 349 177 174 201 202 180 170 Supply class C 684 692 610 431 296 279 241 326 643 700 1 These data are on the principal offence basis.
Number of persons Offence description 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 Possessing class A 1 — 1 2 — — 3 3 4 8 Possessing class B 1 1 — — 1 — 1 — — — Possessing class C 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 Supply class A — — 1 — — — — 1 1 — Supply class B 1 — — — — — — — — — Supply class C — — — — — — — — — — 1 These data are on the principal offence basis. Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system. Source: OMS Analytical Services