§ Mr. JEREMIAH MacVEAGHasked the Lord Advocate whether he can state the total number of indictments presented at the last assizes for all the counties in Scotland, exclusive of Glasgow and Edinburgh; the average number for every county; and the average number for each million of the population?
§ Mr. ALEXANDER UREThe total number of indictments presented at the sittings of the High Court of Justiciary for all the counties in Scotland (exclusive of Glasgow and Edinburgh) during the year 1908 was 45, the average per county 1.363, and the average per million of population 9.473.
§ Mr. JEREMIAH MacVEAGHasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can state the total number of indictments presented at the last assizes for all the counties in England and Wales, exclusive of the chief cities, the average number for every county, and the average number for each million of the population?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of the HOME OFFICE (Mr. Herbert Samuel)The Secretary of State cannot give the total number of indictments presented at the last assizes without imposing a heavier task on his staff than appears to him to be justified, as the figures are not classified 1669 on that basis. The hon. Member will, however, find very full information as to the number of indictable offences committed and tried in the recently-published Criminal Judicial Statistics for 1907, the last year for which figures are available. The tables at pages 48, 52, 56, show that in 1907 there were 3,769 persons for trial at assizes and 8,828 at quarter sessions, making, with two for trial in the High Court, a total of 12,599. The table at page 58 gives the classification of these persons according to counties, and that at page 94 shows the indictable offences, apprehensions, and prosecutions in each police district.
§ Mr. MACVEAGHAm I to understand that the right hon. Gentleman cannot give
§ the total number of cases put forward at assizes because the number is so large that the staff of the Home Office has not time to count them up?