§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give, for the longest and most convenient stated period of time, the numbers of persons tried and found guilty of espionage or for related offences, together with those under suspicion but not charged; how many were educated at public schools and the universities; and how many had not progressed past the State non-scholarship schools.
100W
§ Mr. MayhewI understand that records show that in England and Wales in the period 1970 to 1980 inclusive, 14 persons were tried for offences against section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911, of whom seven were found guilty. Information is not collected centrally on the number of persons suspected of committing this offence but who were not subsequently charged or on the educational background of offenders.