§ Mr. Quentin DaviesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, on a comparable basis, the number of murders recorded in the United Kingdom in each of the past 30 years. [109364]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeThe available information relates to initially recorded offences of homicide (murder, manslaughter and infanticide) in England and Wales and is given in the table. Those offences subsequently decided at court to be murder are also shown.
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Offences of homicide initially recorded by the police and those subsequently decided at court to be murder, England and Wales, 1969–1998 Initially recorded homicides Offences decided at court to be murder 1969 395 69 1970 396 91 1971 459 86 1972 480 88 1973 465 81 1974 599 154 1975 508 97 1976 565 102 1977 484 112 1978 535 123 1979 629 160 1980 621 126 1981 556 148 1982 618 160 1983 552 152 1984 619 165 1985 625 166 1986 660 202 1987 686 195 1988 645 172 1989 626 177 1990 662 174 1991 725 181 1992 681 189 1993 675 209 1994 727 215 1995 753 238 1996 680 216 1997–98 748 1— 1998–99 750 1— 1 Not applicable The initially recorded figure includes all homicides because when an offence is discovered and recorded by the police, it is not generally known whether an offence of murder, manslaughter or infanticide has been committed.
Figures for Scotland and Northern Ireland are matter for the respective Secretaries of State.