asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were convicted of indictable offences for each year in the period 1960 to 1975; and how many of those convicted were sent to prison in each year in the period 1960 to 1975, broken down according to the following categories of offence: (a) violence against the person, (b) sexual offences, (c) burglary, (d) robbery, (e) theft and the handling of stolen goods, (f) fraud and forgery and (g) criminal damage.

The figures requested are given in the following table. They do not include suspended prison sentences or periods of imprisonment ordered in default of payment of fines. The figures are not comparable over the whole period shown because of changes in the age of criminal responsibility, in legislation affecting sentencing and in legislation affecting the classification of offences, in particular offences of theft and criminal damage.