§ Mr. Fletcher-Cookeasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department
136W
INDICTABLE OFFENCES KNOWN TO THE POLICE Offence Group 1958 1959 Percentage variation 1958–57 1959–58 Larceny … 409,388 445,888 +13.4 + 8.9 Breaking and entering … 131,132 133,962 +24.8 + 2.2 Receiving … 10,002 10,254 +16.0 + 2.5 Frauds and false pretences … 29,415 34,061 +12.1 +15.8 Sexual offences … 17,691 20,024 –5.1 +13.2 Violence against the person … 12,137 13,875 +10.7 +14.3 Other offences … 16,744 17,561 +11.1 +4.9 TOTAL … 626,509 675,625 +14.8 +7.8 lem of noise, and to advise what further measures can be taken to mitigate it". My noble Friend has appointed twelve members to this Committee under the Chairmanship of Mr. A. H. Wilson, F.R.S., Deputy Chairman, Courtaulds, Ltd. The following are their names:
if he will provide statistics showing the amount of crime in England and Wales in 1959 as compared with 1958.
§ Mr. R. A. ButlerProvisional figures for 1959 show an increase in the number of indictable offences known to the police. The proportionate increases were greatest in the groups of offences classified as frauds and false pretences, violence against the person and sexual offences. In the larcency and breaking and entering groups the increases were much smaller than those for 1958. The increase in the total number of indictable offences known to the police was 7.8 per cent; the increase in 1958 was 14.8 per cent.
The following table gives the figures for 1958 and 1959 and the percentage variation between each of those years and the previous year:
137WProvisional figures show that the number of persons found guilty of indictable offences increased by 4 per cent. The increase among persons aged 17 and under 21 was 4 per cent. and among young persons aged 14 and under 17 it was 7 per cent.; the increases in their populations could, however, account for half the increase in the former age group and for considerably more in the latter. There was a small decrease in the number of children under 14 found guilty.