§ Mr. Boothasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many verdicts of suicide have been recorded in the last two years in cases of persons charged with, or found guilty of, shoplifting.
§ Mr. BrittanThe only information available to the Home Office relates to court proceedings discontinued because the defendant committed suicide, which is published annually for all types of offence in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—table 1(a)(i) of the volume for 1979, Cmnd 8098. In 1978 one such person was proceeded against for shoplifting; separate information for persons proceeded against for shoplifting in 1979 could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information is not collected centrally on suicides before court proceedings begin or after the court has made its decision.