§ CAPTAIN NORTONI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can furnish a Return for the last five years of the number of infants accidentally suffocated in bed, and for the proportion of such deaths in London, Liverpool, and Manchester, compared with the rest of England and Wales; and further, for the number of cases that occur in December and January compared with any other two months.
§ *THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. AKERS DOUGLAS,) Kent, St. Augustine'sI scarcely think that this is a matter for a Return. Perhaps it will serve the hon. and gallant Member's purpose equally well if I give him such figures as are available. I will send him the details for the towns which he mentions, and merely state now the totals for England and Wales, viz., in 1898, 1458 children were accidentally suffocated in bed; in 1899, 1621; in 1900, 1619; in 1901, 63 1434; and in 1902, 1490. There are no statistics available as to the number of cases occurring in each month. I understand that the matter will be dealt with in the forthcoming volume of Criminal Statistics for 1902.