Crime
Wales
Mrs Betty Williams (Conwy, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the crime figures in North Wales.
Mr Don Touhig (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Wales), Department for Constitutional Affairs; Islwyn, Labour/Co-operative)
My right hon. Friend and I regularly discuss crime figures with various interested parties.
Recently, we have received correspondence from the Chief Constable of North Wales, clarifying the impact of important changes in the reporting of crime, and pointing out that the British Crime Survey's latest findings show that crime in England and Wales as a whole has gone down by 25 per cent. since 1997.