asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can give (a) the number of prosecutions and (b) the number of police investigations in respect of blasphemy and blasphemous libel for each of the periods 1947 to 1956, 1957 to 1966, 1967 to 1976 and for each year since 1970; and what was the number of convictions for each of these periods and these years.

From 1964 to 1975 there were no prosecutions, and therefore, no convictions, for blasphemy and blasphemous libel. Information for the period before 1964 is not available, and that for 1976 is not yet available. Information about police investigations could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.