§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many boys and how many girls of each age up to 18 years were reported missing in the county of Leicester in each month of the last five years for which records are available; how many and what percentage were missing from their own homes and how many and what percentage from care; and how many and what percentage were traced and after what period of search;
(2) how many boys and how many girls of each age up to 18 years were reported missing in Greater London in each month of the last five years for which records are available; how many and what percentage were missing from their own homes and how many and what percentage from care; and how many and what percentage were traced and after what average period of search;
(3) how many boys and how many girls of each age up to 18 years were reported missing in the United Kingdom in each month of the last five years for which records are available; how many and what percentage were missing from their own homes and how many and what percentage from care; and how many and 291W what percentage were traced and after what average period of search.
§ Dr. SummerskillMuch of the information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only by detailed scrutiny of police records at disproportionate cost. A certain amount of information about missing persons is published in the annual reports of the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, the chief constable of Leicestershire, and of other chief constables.
The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has also supplied the follow-
REPORTS* TO THE METROPOLITAN POLICE CENTRAL INDEX OF MISSING PERSONS AGED UNDER 18 Males Females Absentees from care† Other Absentees from care† Other Total Number Per cent. Number Per cent. Total Number Per cent. Number Per cent. 1973 … 9,083‡ 4,593 n. a. 4,490‡ n. a. 8,971 2,488 28 6,483 72 1974 … 10,312 4,107 40 6,205 60 8,577 2,255 26 6,322 74 1975 … 9,120 3,948 43 5,172 57 8,488 2,432 29 6,056 71 1976 … 9,596 4,164 43 5,432 57 9,676 2,698 28 6,978 72 1977 … 10,396 4,166 40 6,230 60 10,748 2,699 25 8,049 75
REPORTS* TO THE METROPOLITAN POLICE CENTRAL INDEX OF MISSING PERSONS AGED UNDER 18 (EXCLUDING ABSENTEES FROM CARE†) NOT TRACED WITHIN 48 HOURS Males Females Total Metropolitan Police District Provinces and overseas Total Metropolitan Police District Provinces and overseas 1973 … … 1,142 1,000 142 1,975 1,619 356 1974 … … 1,284 1,119 165 2,070 1,750 320 1975 … … 1,232 1,087 145 2,061 1,798 263 1976 … … 1,170 1,039 131 1,982 1,738 244 1977 … … 1,439 1,092 347 2,456 1,992 464 * Reports cover all cases known to the Metropolitan Police, those cases known to other police forces in England and Wales which have been outstanding for one month and other cases which other police forces, including those overseas, choose to report. The same person may be reported missing more than once. † Children in the care of the local authority, some of whom may have been residing in their own homes. ‡1st March to 31st December 1973 only.
Notes Comparison of the above figures of reports for those not in local authority care indicates that a large proportion are traced within 48 hours of their going missing. No information is readily available on the length of search, which may start some time after the person went missing. As at 10th November, 161 boys and 319 girls were recorded as being missing; these include cases where death is presumed but not body has been found.