HC Deb 14 December 1964 vol 704 cc22-3W
87. Mr. Sydney Silverman

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions for murder there were in the United Kingdom in each of the years 1955, 1956, and 1957;how many convictions there were for non-capital murder for each of the years from 1958 to the latest year for which figures are available; and how many convictions for capital murder there were in each of those years, stating for each year how many executions took place.

Sir F. Soskice

The following is the Answer:

(a) PERSONS CONVICTED OF MURDER IN ENGLAND AND WALES

Year Number of persons convicted Murder
1955 30
1956 32
1957 40*
Non-capital murder Capital murder (the number of persons executed†is shown in brackets)
1958 21 9(5)
1959 36 6(5)
1960 33 9(5)
1961 42 9(5)
1962 27 4(3)
1963 42 4(2)
* Includes 13 persons convicted of murder (before the Homicide Act), 6 persons convicted of capital murder and 21 persons convicted of non-capital murder.
† Some of these persons were executed in the year following that in which they were convicted.

(b) PERSONS CONVICTED OF MURDER IN SCOTLAND

Year Number of persons convicted Murder
1955 1
1956 1
1957 2*
Non-capital murder
Capital murder (the number of persons executed is shown in brackets)
1958 4 2(1)
1959 3 1(-)
1960 3 2(1)
1961 3 1(-)
1962 6 1(-)
1963 2(1)
* Both were convictions for non-capital murder after the Homicide Act came into force.

Mr. Curran

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men and women, respectively, are now serving sentences for murder.

Sir F. Soskice

On 8th December, 1964, 296 males and 10 females were serving sentences for murder in prisons in England and Wales.