§ Captain Kerbyasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent evidence he has regarding the extent of homosexual practices in England and Wales; and to what extent criminal statistics and other evidence 25W available to him indicate a need for an amendment of the law in this respect, both with regard to male and female homosexuality.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerThe numbers of homosexual offences known to the police in the last three years were as follows:
1957 … … … … 6,327 1958 … … … … 5,471 1959 … … … … 5,732 These figures relate only to male homosexuality, since female homosexual practices are not criminal.
My view is still that it would be premature to introduce legislation to amend the law on male homosexual offences, and I know of no sufficient grounds for legislation on female homosexuality.