HC Deb 06 February 1969 vol 777 cc151-2W
58. Sir T. Beamish

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the number of people who died in each of the last 10 years as the outcome of an assault on them; and on what basis he distinguishes in compiling statistics between people who are murdered and people who die as the result of assault.

Mr. Callaghan

I am circulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT a table showing the total numbers of victims of murder, manslaughter, infanticide and child destruction. An offence is recorded as murder if the police consider that the ingredients of murder according to the law appear to be present, but if a court returns an alternative verdict the offence is reclassified accordingly.

The following are the numbers of offences (in terms of victims) of murder, manslaughter, infanticide and child destruction known to the police in England and Wales:

1958 … … … … 263
1959 … … … … 267
1960 … … … … 282
1961 … … … … 266
1962 … … … … 300
1963 … … … … 307
1964 … … … … 300
1965 … … … … 325
1966 … … … … 364
1967 … … … … 413

These figures exclude a very small number of offences initially recorded as murder but subsequently reduced to an offence other than those referred to above. In general, the figures include charges resulting in acquittal.

59. Sir T. Beamish

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in what respect the practice of distinguishing between murder and death following an assault has varied in this century for the purposes of computing the number of people murdered in any one year; if he is satisfied with the accuracy of the present practice; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Callaghan

During the present century the basis on which offences are counted as murder has, so far as I am aware, changed only in reflection of changes in the law of murder, in particular those brought about by the Infanticide Acts, 1922 and 1938, and the Homicide Act, 1957. As a consequence of these Acts, a number of offences that would formerly have been murder became infanticide or manslaughter and are counted accordingly in the Criminal Statistics. I am satisfied that the murder statistics are as accurate as it is practicable to make them.