§ 73. Mr. John Hobsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the figures for offences against persons aged one year and over known to the police in the two years up to the 21st March, 1959, compare with similar figures for the two years prior to the 21st March, 1957, in respect of the following offences, namely, murder, both capital and non-capital, attempts to murder, threats or conspiracy to murder, and manslaughter, other than those concerned with the use of motor cars.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerI regret that I cannot give figures in precisely the form for which my hon. and learned Friend asks. I am, however, circulating below a table giving the annual figures for the offences in question so far as I am able to do so.
It is only in respect of murder that offences known to the police are analysed according to the age of the victim and are 170W available for twelve-monthly periods beginning on 21st March. Offences of murder known to the police cannot be analysed into capital and non-capital murders, nor can manslaughter by the use of a motor car be distinguished in the figures of crime known to the police from other forms of manslaughter.
The following table shows the number of crimes known to the police for the calendar years stated. The 1958 figures are provisional:
Offence 1955 1956 1957 1958 Murder (of persons aged one year and over) 125(a) 148(b) 151(c) 124(d Attempt to murder 169 162 158 190 Threats or conspiracy to murder 44 57 62 55 Manslaughter (e) 122 142 147 108 (a) Includes 2 offences for which, at the end of 1955, 2 persons were awaiting trial, but which in 1956 resulted in convictions for manslaughter.
(b) Includes 3 offences for which, at the end of 1956, 3 persons were awaiting trial, but which in 1957 resulted in convictions for manslaughter.
(c) Includes 9 offences for which, at the end of 1957, 8 persons were awaiting trial, but which in 1958 resulted in convictions for manslaughter.
(d) Includes 9 offences for which, at the end of 1958, 9 persons were awaiting trial, but which in 1959 resulted in convictions for manslaughter. The figure may require further adjustment in the light of the result of proceedings in any of the outstanding cases.
(e) Some indication of the number of crimes of manslaughter by use of a motor vehicle can be obtained from the following statistics of proceedings for such offences—
1955 1956 1957 1958 29 31 4 4