§ 59. Sir L. Ropnerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the number of unsolved murders in Great Britain since 1st January, 1950.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI regret that the information is not available in the form in which my hon. and gallant Friend asks for it. I am, however, circulating below a table showing the number of murders recorded as known to the police in England and Wales in each of the years 1950–56 in respect of which the offender was undetected when the volume of Criminal Statistics for that year went to press in the succeeding summer. The figures include murders which, although unsolved some six months after the end of the year in which they were recorded, were solved subsequently.
I understand from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland that the figures for Scotland are not available in a precisely comparable form, and it is not, therefore, possible to give total figures for Great Britain. If my hon. and gallant Friend wishes to have Scottish figures perhaps he will put down another Question.
NUMBERS OF OFFENCES RECORDED BY THE POLICE IN ENGLAND AND WALES AS MURDER IN EACH OF THE YEARS 1950–1956 IN RESPECT OF WHICH THE OFFENDER WAS UNDETECTED WHEN THE CRIMINAL STATISTICS FOR THAT YEAR WENT TO PRESS Year Victims aged 1 year or over Victims under 1 year old 1950 … … 3 11 1951 … … 5 5 1952 … … 6 2 1953 … … 2 8 1954 … … 6 4 1955 … … 2 8 1956 … … 7 4 Note: More than one of these victims may have been killed by the same person.