Oliver Heald (North East Hertfordshire, Conservative)
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people received (a) immediate custodial sentences and (b) other disposals in respect of drugs supply offences in Hertfordshire in each of the last five years.
Crispin Blunt (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Prisons and Probation), Justice; Reigate, Conservative)
Persons sentenced to immediate custody and other sentences for supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug in Hertfordshire police force area, 2006 to 2010, can be viewed in the tables.
Persons sentenced to immediate custody and other sentences for supply and possession with intent to supply a controlled drug, in Hertfordshire police force area, 2006- 10 (1,2,3) 2006 Offence and police force area Sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences Hertfordshire Supply 83 37 46 Possession with intent to supply 66 41 25 England and Wales Supply 3,639 2,366 1,273 Possession with intent to supply 5,044 3,031 2,013 2007 Offence and police force area Sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences Hertfordshire Supply 61 30 31 Possession with intent to supply 79 29 50 England and Wales Supply 3,496 2,215 1,281 Possession with intent to supply 5,514 3,168 2,346 2008 Offence and police force area Sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences Hertfordshire Supply 76 42 34 Possession with intent to supply 102 53 49 England and Wales Supply 3,950 2,538 1,412 Possession with intent to supply 6,421 3,693 2,728 200 9 (4) Offence and police force area Sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences Hertfordshire Supply 80 50 30 Possession with intent to supply 111 55 56 England and Wales Supply 3,792 2,453 1,339 Possession with intent to supply 6,394 3,701 2,693 2010 Offence and police force area Sentenced Immediate custody Other sentences Hertfordshire Supply 56 21 35 Possession with intent to supply 154 68 86 England and Wales Supply 3,798 2,373 1,425 Possession with intent to supply 7,271 3,842 3,429 (1) The figures given in the table on court proceedings relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. (2) 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 courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (3) Cannabis was re-classified to a class B drug on 26 January 2009. (4) Revisions have been made to 2009 figures to account for the late receipt of a small number of court records. Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.