UKP31-A-WEEK BILL FOR CRIME

Crime costs the economy UKP35 billion a year - or UKP31 a week for every
household in Britain, according to a report published today.

The figures mean more money is spent tackling and preventing crime than on
the entire defence budget, which costs UKP23 billion a year, and only a
little less than on education, at UKP40 billion, or the National Health
Service, at UKP45 billion.

Publishing its first audit on the cost of crime, the Association of British
Insurers said the financial implications were startling.

The UKP31-a-week bill for every household includes UKP11 lost through
benefit, credit card and other types of fraud, UKP8 spent on security and
crime prevention measures, UKP7 on policing, UKP2 on insurance and the rest
on other costs, including running the criminal justice system.

Tony Baker, the deputy director-general of the association, who is due to
present the figures to the Police Superintendents' Association of England
and Wales conference today, said there had been a significant shift in the
balance of costs in the past five years.

A drop in some types of crime meant that the cost of stolen property was
falling, while more money was being spent running the police, prisons,
preventing crime and on security measures.

Checked-by: Pat Dolan