MR. LLOYD MORGAN (Carmarthenshire, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will state the number of prisoners who were detained in custody awaiting trial for a period of two months and three months during the years 1897, 1898, 1899, and 1900, respectively, also the number of such prisoners who were ultimately acquitted.
§ *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. RITCHIE, Croydon)The figures are to be found in the annual volumes of Criminal Statistics. In 1897, 1,003 persons in England and Wales were in custody between eight and twelve weeks awaiting trial, and 133 of these were acquitted. For 1898 the figures are 961 and 123; and for 1899, 1,043 and 161. The figures for 1900 are not yet available.