LORD SALTOUNasked Her Majesty's Government if they can ascertain and inform the House how many of the 70 cases of indecency mentioned by the Lord Chancellor in the House on February 16 were committed by persons of the age of 17 or less.
§ THE LORD CHANCELLOR (VISCOUNT KILMUIR)In the cases in question 42 persons were involved in indecent378WA conduct with 70 children, 38 girls and 32 boys. Out of the 42, 2 were 17 and 3 were 18. None is known to have been younger, but the ages of two are unknown. The 70 cases are those reported to the Director of Public Prosecutions between 1954 and 1957 in response to an informal request by the Director to chief constables to inform him of cases of indecency in which they could not take proceedings for indecent assault in view of the decision in the case of Fairclough v. Whipp. They do not necessarily represent all the cases reported to the police during the period in question, but there is no reason to think that they were selected with regard to the age of either of the parties concerned or that in this respect the group of cases is other than typical.
House adjourned at four minutes before eight o'clock.