§ 3.59 p.m.
§ Sir Thomas Moore (Ayr)I beg to move,
That this House expresses its grave anxiety at the marked increase in crimes of violence and murder, and calls on Her Majesty's Government to so amend the Criminal Justice Act, 1948, and the Homicide Act, 1957, as to enable the courts to inflict corporal punishment for crimes of violence, and capital punishment for all crimes of murder.In the minute that remains to me, I would like to mention that, while the last Motion was vitally interesting to all of us in the House, my humble self included, this Motion is of great interest to almost every man, woman and child in the land.There is a double cause for my Motion. One is to appeal for protection against violent attack on the old and young, wanton attack on those unable to hit back, and the other is to see that there is capital punishment for all crimes of murder and not for the stupidly selected number legislated for by the Homicide Act, 1957. This was a stupid Act that the Government passed, and I am bitterly ashamed that I ever voted for it. Although this obviously is not the time for the Motion to be accepted, I hope that, in due course, it will appear once more on the Order Paper and will have the unanimous support of every hon. Member and enable us to strike from our consciences the fact that, while children may be battered—
§ It being Four o'clock, the Debate stood adjourned.