§ 67. Mr. Teelingasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many males convicted for murder have been reprieved in the last 30 years, and how many have suffered the supreme penalty, excluding the period between the passing in the House of Commons of the resolution abolishing the death penalty and its rejection in another place; how many of such reprieved murderers were reprieved for mental reasons; how many because of their age; and how many served a life sentence other than in a mental prison.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeIn the years 1925–1954, excluding the period from 14th April, 1948, to 2nd June, 1948, 358 males who were convicted in England and Wales of murder were executed; 36 were certified insane after conviction and removed to Broadmoor; and 244 had their sentences commuted to imprisonment for life. A decision to recommend the commutation of a death sentence to one of imprisonment for life is taken after consideration of all the circumstances of the case, and there are few instances in which a decision was taken solely because of the mental state of the prisoner or solely because of his age. In no case was a decision taken; that a reprieved murderer should be detained in prison for the rest of his life.