The Home Office in the UK produces and publishes timely, accurate, and objective statistics in the form of commentary, tables, and data on migration and borders, public safety, and homeland security. These statistics are based on two main sources: statistical surveys and data extracted from administrative or management systems. One of the most important methods used by the Home Office to gather information on crime in England and Wales is the British Crime Survey (BCS). The BCS asks a representative sample of the adult population about their experiences as victims of crimes during the previous year. The data gathered through the BCS is intended to complement the Home Office's published statistics on notifiable offences and provide a truer estimate of the extent of household and personal crimes. The Home Office's statistical work programme covers various topics, including crime against businesses, hate crime, migration, immigration, police workforce, and counter-terrorism.
Characteristics | Values |
---|---|
Type of Data | Commentary, tables, and data |
Topics | Migration and borders, public safety, homeland security, crime, counter-terrorism, the justice system, and immigration |
Sources | Statistical surveys and data extracted from administrative or management systems |
Frequency | Quarterly releases, annual reports, and other periodic updates |
What You'll Learn
Statistical surveys
Official statistics published by the Home Office are based on two main sources: statistical surveys and data extracted from its own and other organisations' administrative or management systems. The Home Office is committed to making its statistical outputs accessible and ensures that they are methodologically sound, politically independent, and transparently produced.
One of the most important methods used by the Home Office to gather information on crime in England and Wales is the British Crime Survey (BCS). The BCS asks a representative sample of the adult population about their experiences as victims of household and personal crimes during the previous year. Its main purpose is to provide an alternative to police measurement of crime in England and Wales. The survey includes questions about the respondent's and their household's demographic information, crimes experienced, fires in the home, and attitudes towards crime, the police, and the Criminal Justice System. The data gathered in the BCS is intended to complement the Home Office's published statistics on notifiable offences and provide a truer estimate of the extent of household and personal crimes.
The Home Office also produces and publishes timely, accurate, and objective statistics in the form of commentary, tables, and data on various topics, including migration, borders, public safety, and homeland security. These statistics support the Home Office objectives and inform the government, Parliament, and the public.
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Data from administrative or management systems
For the Home Office, data from administrative sources forms a critical part of their data-gathering process. This type of data is collected through various administrative and management systems that the Home Office operates or has access to. These systems are used to manage and record information related to the Home Office's core functions and policies. Here is an overview of how the Home Office utilizes data from administrative or management systems:
The Home Office's administrative data sources cover a wide range of areas, including immigration, law enforcement, and border control. One key source is the Casework Information Database (CID), which stores information on immigration and asylum cases. This system records details of each case, including the applicant's personal details, the outcome of their application, and any subsequent appeals. This data is vital for understanding migration trends and informing immigration policy.
Another important system is the Police National Computer (PNC). The PNC is a national database used by police forces across the UK to record and share information on crimes, offenders, and victims. It contains data on criminal records, missing persons, and stolen property. The Home Office uses PNC data to monitor crime rates, track the performance of police forces, and develop law enforcement policies.
Border control and visa application systems also contribute significantly to administrative data. The Home Office's Border Force collects information on all passengers entering and leaving the UK, including their travel documents, journey details, and any relevant security or customs information. This data is crucial for national security and immigration control. Additionally, the Home Office manages the UK Visa and Immigration (UKVI) system, which processes visa applications from individuals seeking to visit, work, or study in the UK. This system captures data on the number and types of visa applications received, their outcomes, and the characteristics of applicants.
The Home Office also utilizes data from various management information systems that support its operational functions. These systems provide data on resource allocation, performance monitoring, and service delivery. For example, the Home Office may use internal systems to track the number of staff deployed in different areas, the volume of cases processed, and the efficiency of service delivery. This management information helps the department make informed decisions about resource allocation and identify areas for improvement.
To ensure data quality and consistency, the Home Office has established data standards and governance processes for its administrative and management systems. This includes defining common data definitions, formats, and collection methods across different systems. The department also conducts data quality assurance checks and data validation processes to identify and rectify any inaccuracies or inconsistencies in the data. These measures help enhance the reliability and accuracy of the administrative data used for policy-making and performance measurement.
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British Crime Survey
The British Crime Survey (renamed the Crime Survey for England and Wales) is a systematic victim study that aims to measure the amount of crime in England and Wales. It is currently carried out by Verian on behalf of the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The survey involves asking around 50,000 people aged 16 and over, living in private households, about the crimes they have experienced in the last year.
The British Crime Survey was first carried out in 1982, with subsequent surveys conducted in 1984, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2001. Since April 2001, interviews have been conducted on a continuous basis, with detailed results reported by financial years. Headline measures are updated quarterly based on interviews conducted in the previous 12 months.
The survey provides a better reflection of the true level of crime than police statistics as it includes crimes that have not been reported to or recorded by the police. For example, due to widespread "no criming", over one-third of reports of violent crimes are not recorded by police. It also captures crimes that people may not bother to report because they think they are too trivial or the police will not be able to do much about them.
The British Crime Survey initially covered England, Wales, and Scotland. However, it is now restricted to England and Wales, as the Scottish Government has commissioned its own survey, the Scottish Crime and Victimisation Survey (SCVS).
The survey has been criticised for not distinguishing between crimes not reported to the police because victims thought the police would do nothing, and those not reported because victims thought them too trivial. It has also been suggested that the survey underreported crime due to its practice of arbitrarily capping the number of repeated incidents that could be reported in a given year.
Despite these criticisms, the Crime Survey for England and Wales remains a valuable tool for understanding crime trends and patterns in the country.
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Crime statistics
The British Crime Survey (BCS) is one of the most important methods used by the Home Office to gather information on crime in England and Wales. The BCS asks a representative sample of the adult population about their experiences as victims of household crimes and personal crimes during the previous year. The BCS captures household and personal crimes which were not reported to the police, or not recorded by the police, or not in those categories of crimes which the police were required to notify to the Home Office.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) is a face-to-face victimisation survey in which people resident in households in England and Wales are asked about their experiences of a range of crimes in the 12 months prior to the interview. The CSEW provides a better reflection of the true extent of crime experienced by the population resident in households in England and Wales than police recorded statistics, because the survey includes crimes that are not reported to, or recorded by, the police.
The Home Office also publishes statistics on notifiable offences, i.e. crimes reported to and recorded by the police which the police are required to notify to the Home Office.
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Immigration statistics
The Home Office publishes statistics on immigration on a quarterly basis, in February, May, August and November each year. The statistics covered include:
- Entry clearance visas granted outside the UK
- Applications for entry clearance visas to the UK
- Outcomes of applications for entry clearance visas to the UK
- Applicants for both visas and extensions of stay for work who use a Certificate of Sponsorship or a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies
- Sponsoring employers and education institutions
- Passenger arrivals (admissions)
- Passengers refused entry at the border
- Outcomes of applications of an extension of stay in the UK
- Outcomes of applications for Settlement
- British citizenship applications, grants, and refusals
- Renunciations of British nationality
- Attendances at British citizenship ceremonies
- EU Settlement Scheme
- Applications to the EU settlements scheme
- Conclusions for the EU settlement scheme
- Safe and legal (humanitarian) routes
- Ukraine Visa and Extension Schemes
- British National Overseas (BN(O)) route
- Asylum applications, appeals and outcomes
- Immigration detention
- People entering, in and leaving immigration detention powers
- Enforced, voluntary and refused at port and subsequently departed returns
- Foreign national offenders (FNOs)
The statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics and have been designated as 'National Statistics' since 2012. All data received by the Home Office undergoes a strict quality assurance process to ensure the data is fit for purpose and published to the highest possible standard.
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Frequently asked questions
The Home Office produces and publishes timely, accurate, and objective statistics in the form of commentary, tables, and data on migration, borders, public safety, and homeland security. These statistics support the Home Office's objectives and inform the government, Parliament, and the public.
Official statistics published by the Home Office are based on two main sources: data gathered from statistical surveys and data extracted from its own and other organizations' administrative or management systems.
Home Office statistics are published independently as part of the code of practice for statistics. Many of these are national statistics and are subject to assessment by the UK Statistics Authority. They must meet specific criteria, including being methodologically sound, politically independent, and transparently produced.
The Home Office provides research and publishes statistics on a range of topics, including crime, counter-terrorism, the justice system, and immigration. Some specific examples include Crime Outcomes statistics, Hate Crime statistics, Migration statistics, Immigration statistics quarterly release, and Police use of force statistics.
Ministers and policymakers use the research findings and statistics from the Home Office to inform policy development and operational activities to tackle crime and make informed decisions.