§ 7. Mr. Edelmanasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of crimes with violence occurred in 1951, 1953, 1955, 1960 and 1964, respectively; how many of these activities were undertaken by organised gangs; and what study he has made of the techniques employed, with special reference to the influences which prompted the criminals in the first instance.
§ Mr. Roy JenkinsThe numbers of indictable offences known to the police in the groups of offences classified in the Criminal Statistics as violence against the person and robbery were 7,288 in 1951, 8,103 in 1953, 8,707 in 1955, 17,773 in 1960 and 26,536 in 1964. The statistics are not compiled in such way as to show the number of offences committed by organised gangs. Studies of techniques employed by organised gangs are, in certain instances, carried out by the Home Office Police Research and Planning Branch.