§ 24. Mr. Hobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the murders known to the police, and of the offences known to the 1744 police which were first recorded as murder but reduced to manslaughter by the operation of Section 2 or Section 4 of the Homicide Act, 1957, in each of the calendar years 1951 to 1960 were committed by persons under the age of 18 at the time of the offence, by persons between the ages of 18 and under 21, by persons over the age of 21, and by persons whose ages are unknown.
§ Mr. VosperAs the Answer includes a table of figures, I will, with permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following are the figures:
| NUMBER OF MURDERS KNOWN TO THE POLICE IN THE YEAR STATED, LESS THOSE SUBSEQUENTLY FOUND NOT TO BE MURDER, TOGETHER WITH OFFENCES DECIDED TO BE MANS LAUGHTER, UNDER SECTION 2 OR SECTION 4 OF TH ECOMICIDE ACT, 1957 | |||||
| — | Age of Offender | ||||
| Under 18 | 18,19 or 20 | 21 or over | Not known | Total | |
| 1951 | — | 7 | 103 | 14 | 124 |
| 1952 | 2 | 6 | 124 | 9 | 141 |
| 1953 | — | 5 | 126 | 10 | 141 |
| 1954 | 4 | 7 | 123 | 11 | 145 |
| 1955 | 1 | 5 | 113 | 14 | 133 |
| 1956 | 6 | 5 | 126 | 13 | 150 |
| 1957 | 7 | 9 | 145 | 17 | 178 |
| 1958 | 3 | 15 | 122 | 15 | 155 |
| 1959 | 1 | 10 | 140 | 11 | 162 |
| 1960 (provisional | 3 | 10 | 149 | 10 | 172 |
§ The figures for 1960 include cases which may be found not to have been murders.
§ 25. Mr. Hobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the murders known to the police and of the offences known to the police which were first recorded as murder but reduced to manslaughter by the operation of Section 2 or Section 4 of the Homicide Act, 1957, in each of the calendar years 1951 to 1960, were done in the course or furtherance of theft or by shooting or causing an explosion or in the course, or for the purpose of resisting or preventing arrest or of effecting or assisting an escape or rescue from legal custody or were of a police officer in the execution of his duty or of a person assisting a police officer so acting or were by a prisoner of a prison officer acting in the execution of his duty or of a person assisting a prison officer so acting.
§ Mr. VosperI will, with permission, circulate the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. HobsonCan my right hon. Friend tell the House whether the fluctuations since 1957 in the annual figures for (hose types of murder which were before 1957 and have since 1957 been punishable with death show any difference? Are the figures better or worse than for all the other types of murder which were punishable with death before 1957 but which have ceased to be so punishable?
§ Mr. VosperThe figures do show considerable fluctuation from year to year. I think it is true to say that the figures for non-capital murder show a very slightly larger rise than those for capital murder during the years in question. My hon. and learned Friend will realise that the figures for the earlier year are in part estimates, and it is difficult to draw any firm conclusions, as he will see when he reads the figures.
§ Miss BaconDo all the figures which the right hon. Gentleman is to publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT show any marked trends from which he can draw any conclusions at all?
§ Mr. VosperI was simply saying that some of the earlier figures are estimates and there are also considerable annual fluctuations. An answer to the supple. mentary question to which my hon. and learned Friend addressed himself really does not appear clearly from the figures.
§ Following are the figures:
| 1951 | 23 |
| 1952 | 17 |
| 1953 | 17 |
| 1954 | 22 |
| 1955 | 15 |
| 1956 | 30 |
| 1957 | 24 |
| 1958 | 19 |
| 1959 | 23 |
| 1960 (provisional) | 27 |
§ In the case of murders committed before the Homicide Act it is not always possible from the information in the possession of the Home Office to distinguish murders committed in the course or furtherance of theft. The figures given for the years concerned are estimates.