LORD PAKENHAMasked Her Majesty's Government whether they can now give any statistics relating to crime in Great Britain in 1958.
§ LORD CHESHAMProvisional figures for England and Wales for the first three-quarters of 1958 show that there continues to be an increase in most kinds of indictable crime and that the increase is greatest among young people aged from upwards of 14 to about 21.
The number of indictable offences provisionally recorded in 1958 up to 397WA September 30 was 458,162, an increase of 14.7 per cent. compared with the corresponding period in 1957. This included 95,890 breaking and entering offences, an increase of 26 per cent. over the previous year. The number of offences of larceny increased by 13 per cent. to 298,369. The increase in offences of violence against the person was 9 per cent. and there was a decrease of 10 per cent. in sexual offences. Offences of robbery increased by 38 per cent. to 1,157.
The total number of persons found guilty of indictable offences increased by 12.2 per cent. compared with the first three-quarters of 1957. The increase among persons aged 17 and under 21 was 26.7 per cent, and among persons aged 14 and under 17 it was 17.5 per cent.
398WAIn Scotland figures are available for the whole of 1958. The total number of crimes (i.e., excluding offences) made known to the police was 91,983, an increase of 14.6 per cent. over 1957. The main increase was in crimes of housebreaking, the numbers of which rose by 31.2 per cent. to 42,310. Crimes against the person involving violence rose slightly to 1,193, an increase of 6.9 per cent. The total number of persons against whom an offence was proved increased by 7.3 per cent.; the increase among persons aged 17 or over but under 21 was 7.9 per cent.; the increase among persons aged 14 or over but under 17 was 18.8 per cent.
House adjourned at fourteen minutes past three o'clock.