HC Deb 08 July 1959 vol 608 cc138-9W
Dr. D. Johnson

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department the number of prosecutions against users of premises for immoral purposes undertaken by the Metropolitan Police in each of the last five years.

Mr. R. A. Butler

Prosecutions in the Metropolitan Police District against users of premises for immoral purposes are normally undertaken by the local authority on evidence supplied by the police. In the last five years the number of such prosecutions for offences against Sections 33–36 of the Sexual Offences Act, 1956, were as follows:

— Proceedings Convictions
1954 … … … 89 80
1955 … … … 63 63
1956 … … … 57 55
1957 … … … 53 50
1958 … … … 58 56

In addition, in two cases in 1957 and twelve in 1958 proceedings for permitting premises to be used for habitual prostitution were taken by the police against men who were also being prosecuted for living on immoral earnings.