§ Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the murder rate per million of the population in England and Wales between 1970 and 1975; what it was in the period from 1950 to 1955 on an annual basis; and if he will give similar figures for manslaughter.
§ Mr. Alexander W. LyonIt has been found that cases of murder are often indistinguishable from other homicides—that is, manslaughter and infanticide—in the absence of court decisions. In Table I offences currently recorded as homicide in England and Wales between 1970 and 1974 are expressed as rates per million of the population:
The figures for 1950 to 1955 were presented on a different basis: all offences known to the police were adjusted up to the end of the year of recording to take account of court proceedings and other 859W factors, but no adjustments were subsequently made in the light of proceedings after the end of the year of recording. It is not, therefore, possible to give separate figures for murder and manslaughter for this period.
TABLE 1. OFFENCES CURRENTLY RECORDED AS HOMICIDE, ENGLAND AND WALES: DEATHS PER MILLION POPULATION Rates per million Year of recording Decided by Courts to be All homicides Murder Man slaughter 1970 7.0 1.9 3.6 1971 8.3 1.7 4.3 1972 8.4 1.8 4.7 1973 8.0 1.7 4.5 1974 10.8 3.0 5.4 Table II accordingly gives the rate per million of population in England and Wales of the total number of offences of murder, manslaughter and infanticide still recorded by the police as such at the end of the year of recording, for the years 1950–55.
TABLE II. OFFENCES RECORDED AS MURDER, MANSLAUGHTER OR INFANTICIDE, ENGLAND AND WALES: DEATHS PER MILLION POPULATION Year of recording Murder, Manslaughter and Infanticide 1950 7.9 1951 7.5 1952 9.1 1953 7.4 1954 7.0 1955 6.3 Figures for 1975 are not yet available.