§ Mr. Maudeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the nature of those crimes to which the increase in the prison population may be attributed; whether such increase bears any relation to any age group; and whether any particular forms of crime appear to be decreasing in so far as may be deduced from the statistics of the prison population.
§ Mr. EdeThere has been an increase in the years 1943 and 1944, as compared with 1938, in the number of persons committed to prison on conviction of burglary, house-breaking, larceny and receiving, but this is balanced by a decrease in the numbers committed on conviction of other offences. The available statistics do not enable the increase in the above-mentioned offences to be related to age groups. I regret that it is not yet possible to say definitely to what causes the present increase in prison population should be attributed.