HL Deb 13 June 1979 vol 400 cc706-8WA
The Earl of SELKIRK

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they can state in respect of Scotland since 1930:

  1. (a) the annual number of murders known to the police; and
  2. (b) the number of convictions for murder which have been followed (1) by imprisonment and (2) by capital punishment.

The MINISTER of STATE, SCOTTISH OFFICE (The Earl of Mansfield)

The information requested is set out in the table overleaf:

Year Number of murders made known to the police Number of Persons convicted of murder(1) Number of persons imprisoned(2) Number of persons executed
1930 13
1931 8
1932 10 4 4
1933 16 1 1
1934 12 1 1
1935 16
1936 19
1937 10
1938 15
1939 8
1940 8
1941 11
1942 15
1943 8
1944 12 3 3
1945 24 3 2 1
1946 18 5 3 2
1947 16 1 1
1948 14 3 2 1
1949 14
1950 21 9 7 2
1951 9 1 1
1952 13 3 3
1953 18 4 4
1954 14 3 1 2
1955 11 1 1
1956 13 1 1
1957 12 2 2
1958 18 6 5 1
1959 14 4 4
1960 16 5 4 1
1961 14 4 4
1962 27 7 7
1963 16 2 1 1
1964 27 9 9
1965 32 15 15
1966 30 14 14
1967 41 22 22
1968 41 21 21
1969 31 16 16
1970 29 17 17
1971 45 34 34
1972 47 27 27
1973 43 26 26
1974 38 24 24
1975 47 29 29
1976 63 34 34
1977 67 36 36
1978 (Provisional) 50 N/A N/A
(1) excludes cases where convictions were quashed.
(2) includes cases where the death sentence was reprieved.

House adjourned at twenty-six minutes before eight o'clock.