The requested information is shown in the tables.
The information is taken from Sentencing Statistics 2008, table 2.3, available via the following link:
http://www.justice.gov.uk/publications/sentencingannual.htm
Number and percentage of persons given immediate custody and sentence length All offences 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 Total persons sentenced 1,373,378 1,456,776 1,397,786 1,414,188 1,338,522 1,410,504 Number given immediate custody 93,841 100,566 105,323 106,187 106,273 111,607 Percentage given immediate custody 6.8 6.9 7.5 7.5 7.9 7.9 Up to and including three months 35,054 39,427 43,059 41,585 40,884 42,542 Over three months and up to and including six months 22,217 24,314 26,203 28,514 29,030 29,419 Over six months and less than 12 months 5,808 5,963 5,573 6,419 6,337 6,590 12 months 5,641 5,837 5,677 5,316 5,019 5,130 Over 12 months1 25,121 25,025 24,811 24,353 25,003 27,926
All offences 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total persons sentenced 1,479,812 1,536,826 1,473,275 1,412,940 1,406,788 1,353,937 Number given immediate custody 107,670 106,322 101,236 96,017 95,206 99,525 Percentage given immediate custody 7.3 6.9 6.9 6.8 6.8 7.4 Up to and including three months 40,754 39,707 37,100 34,712 34,427 35,747 Over three months and up to and including six months 29,498 28,492 26,756 24,422 23,109 22,329 Over six months and less than 12 months 6,038 6,346 6,462 6,401 6,779 6,920 12 months 4,800 4,811 5,001 4,775 5,059 5,652 Over 12 months1 26,580 26,966 25,917 25,707 25,832 28,877 1 Includes life and indeterminate sentences. Notes: 1. These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. 2. 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. 3. This data has been taken from the Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings database. 4. This data is presented on the principal offence basis. Where an offender has been sentenced for more than one offence the principal offence is the one for which the heaviest sentence was imposed. 5. Where the same sentence has been imposed for two or more offences the principal offence is the one for which the statutory maximum is most severe. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services, Ministry of Justice