Reporting the crime figures
The latest crime figures, out this morning, say overall crime is down 3% but some of the crimes that worry people most are up: or sharp instruments increased by 18%; domestic burglaries rose 4%; police-recorded drug offences increased by 9% and the level of fraud and forgery went up 16%.
All these figures compare Q3 last year with the same period in 2007, so they are only a snapshot, not a trend.
But we now know that several of the biggest police forces in England and Wales were among those which had been under-recording the level of serious violent crime for many years.
The 18 forces were named by the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Office in response to a Freedom of Information request.
Meanwhile one national newspaper is reporting this morning that 40% of serious offenders are being let off with just a caution, with the number of cautions being given to violent criminals rising by 82% in just five years.
With crime still very high up the political agenda, we hope to be talking to the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Secretary, Jacqui Smith.
After yesterday's -- well, it confused us on the --we'll be talking MPs expenses, again.
They'll be debating the issue while we're on air. Gordon Brown has been forced to shelve plans to conceal the details of , though why the back-tracking is disputed.
We'll be talking to two MPs on either side of the argument: Tory , and Labour's .
Throughout the programme we'll be talking to the broadcaster, Joan Bakewell.
And on the day that , we'll be talking broadcasting standards.
We'll also be looking at MPs' taste in music with the DJ Tony Blackburn.
All that coming up on today's show on ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ2 - starting later than normal today due to the live tennis - or catch up afterwards on the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ iPlayer.
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