§ 85. Mr. Sorensenasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many charges of cruelty to children, other than those of negligence, were made against parents and guardians, respectively, during the past 12 months; how these figures compare with previous years since the war; in how many cases the charges were dismissed; and whether those convicted receive psychiatric attention.
§ Sir D. Maxwell FyfeI regret that it is not possible to give information in the form requested by the hon. Member. I can however say that since 1946 there has been no significant variation in the annual total prosecutions under the Children and Young Persons Act for neglect of, or cruelty to, children, which average about 1,100, or in the proportion of unsuccessful prosecutions amounting to about 7 per cent.