§ VISCOUNT TEMPLEWOODasked His Majesty's Government whether a table could be provided showing the number of indictable offences, distinguishing the cases of robbery with violence, known to the police and detected for two five-year periods, e.g., the five years immediately preceding the war and the last five years.
THE LORD CHANCELLORIt is not possible to furnish the information asked for in regard to the full period of five years preceding the war, since before 1937 no separate record was kept of crimes cleared up—that is, crimes which had resulted in court proceedings, or had been taken into consideration by a court, or where there was no doubt as to the guilt of an offender but no proceedings could he taken, for example, owing, to his death. The following table gives the particulars of indictable offences known to the police in England and Wales, and the number and percentage of these crimes which were cleared up, in the years 1937 to 1939 and 1945 to 1949: 965WA
— Crimes known Crimes cleared up Percentage 1937 266,265 130,973 49 1938 283,220 136,004 48 1939 303,771 138,076 45 1945 478,394 189,676 40 1946 472,489 184,209 39 1947 498,576 203,992 41 1948 522,684 216,942 42 1949 459,869 203,145 44 These figures include all offences of robbery under Section 23 of the Larceny Act, 1916. Separate particulars for these offences are as follows: 966WA
— Crimes known Crimes cleared up Percentage 1937 209 101 48 1938 287 140 49 1939 265 113 43 1945 1,033 375 36 1946 921 382 41 1947 979 387 39 1948 1,101 473 43 1949 990 447 45 Separate figures for offences under Section 23 (1) of the Larceny Act, 1916, are not available.
House adjourned at three minutes before six o'clock.