§ 1. Mr. Langford-Holtasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes for which flogging was formerly awardable took place in 1948 when that punishment was abolished; what are the figures for the latest available year; and what have been the figures for other years since 1945.
§ The Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Welsh Affairs (Major Gwilym Lloyd-George)As the answer contains a number of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. Langford-HoltWill my right hon. and gallant Friend say whether these figures show that since 1948 these crimes for which this punishment was awardable have dropped? Could he tell me the figure for 1948 and the latest figure at his disposal?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeI think my hon. Friend will see from the figures which I shall circulate that the tendency is definitely for the crimes to have dropped. Although there are queer fluctuations from year to year, the tendency throughout is for the figures to drop.
§ Mr. PatonWill the Home Secretary give an assurance that, in view of these figures, he will stand firm against the rather irresponsible attempts to reintroduce flogging?
§ Following is the Answer:
§ Before corporal punishment was abolished as a judicial penalty in September, 1948, the principal offences for which it could he imposed were offences under Section 23 (1) of the Larceny Act, 1916, that is robbery with violence, armed robbery and robbery in company with others. The number of offences against Section 23 (1) known to the polices in each year since 1945 is as follows:
| 1946 | 804 |
| 1977 | 842 |
| 1948 | 978 |
| 1949 | 860 |
| 1950 | 812 |
| 1951 | 633 |
| 1952 | 790 |
| 1953 | 754 |
| 1954 | 604 |
| 1955 | 578 |
§ Separate figures are not available for the other offences for which corporal punishment could be inflicted on adults, but by 1948 it had virtually ceased to be used as a punishment for these offences.
§ 24. Mr. N. Pannellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in view of the great increase in crimes of violence since the abolition of corporal punishment, he will consider introducing legislation to restore this penalty in appropriate cases.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeNo. Sir. Before corporal punishment was abolished as a judicial penalty in September, 1948, the principal offences for which it could be inflicted were offences under Section 23 (1) of the Larceny Act, 1916, that is, robbery with violence, armed robbery and robbery in company with others. Since 1948 there has been a fairly steady decrease in the number of such offences known to the police.
§ Mr. PannellWhile thanking my right hon. and gallant Friend for his reply, may I ask whether he is aware that, despite the decrease since 1948 which he has mentioned, the figures are still several 1943 times greater than they were before the war? [HON. MEMBERS: "No."] Will my right hon. and gallant Friend further take into account crimes of violence generally, and particularly those of felonious and malicious wounding, which increased by 50 per cent. between 1948 and 1954? Will he take this and similar matters into account when reviewing this subject again?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeMany of the crimes of violence were not those for which the offender was liable to flogging before the abolition. Whilst we all deplore the increase in crimes of violence since 1946, the fact remains that the figures which I am publishing in the OFFICIAL REPORT show that, although there has been a fluctuation from year to year, the trend has been on the downward side.
§ Mr. YoungerIs the Home Secretary aware that he has the full support of the great majority of people in the House in resisting the irrational sentiments of this proposal?
§ Viscount HinchingbrookeDoes my right hon. and gallant Friend not see the application of the principle of this trend in the Bill which is now before the House?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeNot altogether, because we have the lowest figure in the world on the other one.