§ Mr. Fauldsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now publish the firework accident statistics for 1968, clasified in age groups and between types of firework.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThe table below analyses the information obtained from hospitals in England and Wales relating to the 2,537 persons who received hospital treatment for injuries caused by fireworks during the period 14th October to 10th November, 1968. Figures are also given for the comparable four week periods in 1967, 1966, 1965 and 1964, when the total numbers of persons involved were 2,214, 2,302, 2,339 and 2,220 respectively.
provisional statistics of offences known to the police in England and Wales, committed in 1968, in the categories of murders of all types, murders of policemen, murders of prison officers, estimated capital murders, attempted murders, murders reduced to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, capital murders reduced to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility, threats, conspiracy or incitement to murder, and child murders.
333W
§ Mr. CallaghanIn view of the importance of having murder statistics on as reliable a basis as possible, it is the established practice to correct the statistics of offences of murder known to the police so as to exclude offences originally recorded as murder but subsequently found not to be murder. This process is dependent on the passage of cases through the courts. As in the case of figures for previous years, I hope to have the figure for 1968 towards the end of May.
§ Mr. Danceasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the total prison population of criminals who are serving sentences for capital murder; and what is the cost for their maintenance per week.
§ Mr. Elystan Morgan26 persons are serving sentences of life imprisonment in England and Wales for capital murder, which existed as a separate offence only between the passing of the Homicide Act, 1957, and the Murder (Abolition of Death Penalty) Act, 1965. The average weekly cost per prisoner in all prisons in England and Wales in the year ended 31st March, 1967, was £14 14s. 4d., excluding capital and maintenance expenditure on buildings.