Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 1 February to Question 133963 on Crime: Research, when she plans to publish updated research on the economic and social costs of crime; and for what reason the third edition of those estimates has not been published.

‘The Economic and Social Costs of Crime’ second edition was published by the Home Office in July 2018. An update to the economic and social cost of fraud against individuals has since been published in the Fraud Strategy (May 2023). Together, these documents are currently the most comprehensive source for the estimated economic and social costs of these specified crimes against individuals and businesses.

We are still reviewing more up to date estimates and therefore, as in February, we do not have any plans to publish. The review is being conducted by Home Office officials and not by external researchers.

Since the latest release of ‘The Economic and Social Costs of Crime’, the nature of crime and therefore the related costs have likely changed. For example, crime against individuals (excluding fraud and computer misuse) has reduced by 52% since 2010 according to the Crime Survey of England and Wales. This does not specifically capture the crimes costed in ‘The Economic and Social Costs of Crime’, for example the CSEW does not capture commercial crimes.

References:

Fraud Strategy, Annex 3 Fraud Strategy: stopping scams and protecting the public (accessible) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk):

CSEW: Cell BB53 in Worksheet A1: https://www.ons.gov.uk/file?uri=/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtables/yearendingdecember2022/appendixtablesyedec22.xlsx

The Economic and Social Costs of Crime: Second Edition The economic and social costs of crime (publishing.service.gov.uk)”