HC Deb 18 November 1952 vol 507 cc1570-1
29 and 30. Captain Duncan

asked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many adults and juveniles, respectively, were convicted in Scotland of crimes of violence in each of the three years preceding the coming into operation of the Criminal Justice Act, 1948; how many of them were sentenced to corporal punishment; and how many persons have been convicted of such crimes in each subsequent year; and

(2) in how many cases corporal punishment has been inflicted for offences in Scottish prisons in each year since 1945.

Mr. J. Stuart

I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT the statistics of convictions of crimes of violence in 1945 and each subsequent year. The average for the years 1945 to 1947 is 662; the average for the subsequent period is 429.

Since 1862 no Scottish court has had power to sentence an adult to corporal punishment except for an assault on the Sovereign or a second conviction of living on immoral earnings. Whipping as a court penalty for juveniles was abolished on 13th September, 1948; since 1944 it had been ordered for crimes of violence by juveniles only six times, all in 1946.

As regards prison offences, the power to order the infliction of corporal punishment in Scotland which was abolished by the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act, 1949, was exercisable only in the case of convicts in Peterhead prison who were guilty of mutiny, incitement to mutiny, or grave personal violence to a prison officer. It was last exercised in 1934 in one case.

Captain Duncan

As for 90 years we have had, broadly, no corporal punishment for adults in Scotland, would my right hon. Friend agree that, as long as the cases submitted to the courts receive the sentences they deserve, there is no need for corporal punishment?

Mr. Ross

Where are the floggers?

Following are the statistics:

PERSONS AGAINST WHOM CHARGES OF CRIMES OF VIOLENCE WERE PROVED IN SCOTLAND
Year Adults Juveniles Total
1945 873 54 927
1946 456 49 505
1947 519 36 555
1948 477 49 526
1949 301 28 329
1950 296 45 341
1951 428 65 493
1952 (first six months) 219 23 242