§ 2.35 p.m.
§ [The Question was as follows:—
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the figures for the murder of adults, and children, prior to the coming into force of the Homicide Act, over a period of six months, and for a period of six months after the coming into force can be given; how many of the murderers would have been subject to the death penalty, especially in the case of those convicted of the murder of children, had it not been for the coming, into force of the Homicide Act.]
§ LORD CHESHAMMy Lords, the noble Earl's Question cannot be answered precisely until all the cases which occurred during the twelve months have been disposed of by the courts. The figures which follow relate to the number of victims of offences recorded by the police as murder, or which would have been so recorded but for the passing of the Homicide Act, excluding those which to date have been found to be some other offence.
In the six months from September 21, 1956, to March 20. 1957, 25 children between the ages of one and fourteen and 53 persons over fourteen were the victims of offences which appear to have been murder. The corresponding figures for the period March 21 to September 20, 1957, were 31 and 68.
If the Homicide Act had not been passed, all persons over eighteen found guilty of murder would have been liable to the death penalty. If persons who committed suicide or were found insane on arraignment or guilty but insane are excluded, the apparent murders in respect of which the offender would have been 196 liable to the death penalty are: in the earlier period, those of 1 child and 32 others, and in the latter period those of 9 children and 44 others. These figures relate to England and Wales only.
The figures for the later period are not precisely comparable with those for the earlier period, because the nearer one approaches the present the higher the proportion of cases which have not yet been disposed of by the courts.