HC Deb 11 November 1966 vol 735 cc374-5W
Mr. Whitaker

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the present case load per probation officer in this country, compared with the previous 10 years; and what percentage of probation officers are at present untrained, compared with the previous 10 years.

Mr. Roy Jenkins

The following Table gives the latest available information:

A. PERSONS APPOINTED FOR PROBATION OF THE FIRST TIME AS OFFICERS
Year Appointed after training Appointed without training Percentage appointed without training
1955 57 3 5
1956 63 20 25
1957 50 46 48
1958 77 56 42
1959 107 53 33
1960 91 114 56
1961 104 92 47
1962 92 105 53
1963 129 67 34
1964 171 79 32
1965 260 57(*) 18
1966 (up to 30th September) 211 30 (†) 12
(*) Twenty-seven of these were formerly employed by discharged prisoners' aid societies or in the approved school welfare service.
(†) Including 6 former employees of voluntary prisoners' aid societies.

B. AVERAGE CASELOADS FOR WHOLE TIME BASIC GRADE PROBATION OFFICERS
Year Male officers Women officers
1955 55.9 38.1
1956 58.9 37.7
1957 62.5 38.7
1958 64.2 40.8
1959 64.9 39.9
1960 61.1 40.6
1961 60.6 42.4
1962 59.3 42.1
1963 59.9 41.9
1964 56.6 42.2
1965 55.8 41.2

NUMBERS OF PERSONS CONVICTED OF CAPITAL MURDER, SENTENCED TO DEATH AND HANGED IN ENGLAND AND WALES, 1945–1965
Year Number of persons convicted of capital murder* Number sentenced to death Number subsequently executed
1945 20 20 10
1946 30 29 19
1947 35 27 11
1948 40 38 8
1949 33 32 15
1950 38 33 19
1951 22 21 15
1952 41 39 22
1953 26 26 15
1954 25 21 11
1955 30 29 12
1956 32 28
1957 (1st January to 20th March)* 13 13
1957 (21st March to 31st December)* 6 5 2
1958 9 9 5
1959 6 6 5
1960 9 8 5
1961 9 7 5
1962 4 4 3
1963 4 4 2
1964 7 7 2
1965 (1st January to 8th November)† 15 15
* The first column of figures includes all convictions of murder before 21st March, 1957, when the Homicide Act 1957 came into force. From 21st March, 1957 it includes convictions of capital murder under section 5 of the Homicide Act and of murders which attracted the death penalty under section 6 of the Act (repeated murders).
† The Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act 1965 came into force on 9th November, 1965.