To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in each of the years from 1980 to 1989 inclusive how many gay and/or bisexual men in England and Wales were convicted of importuning in public places, contrary to section 32 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956;
(2) in each of the years from 1980 to 1989 inclusive how many men were convicted for the offences of gross indecency and indecency between males in England and Wales.
The information requested is given in the table. Data for 1989 will not be available until the autumn.
| Males convicted of specified sexual offences 1980 to 1988 England and Wales | ||
| Offence | Soliciting or importuning by a man (Section 32 of Sexual Offences Act 1956) | Indecency between males |
| 1980 | 1,184 | 1,603 |
| 1981 | 878 | 1,420 |
| 1982 | 783 | 1,145 |
| 1983 | 719 | 1,232 |
| 1984 | 399 | 821 |
| 1985 | 452 | 730 |
| 1986 | 452 | 714 |
| 1987 | 500 | 951 |
| 1988 | 545 | 1,333 |
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many men in England and Wales were convicted of the offences of procuring or attempting to procure the commission of acts of buggery and gross indecency in each of the years 1980 to 1989, inclusive.
The information requested is given in the table. Data for 1989 will not be available until the autumn.
| Male defendants convicted of procuration of males 1980 to 1988 England and Wales | |
| Procuration of males | |
| 1980 | 143 |
| 1981 | 121 |
| 1982 | 140 |
| 1983 | 125 |
| 1984 | 194 |
| 1985 | 350 |
| 1986 | 193 |
| 1987 | 246 |
| 1988 | 332 |
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what guidance his Department issues to police forces on what constitutes an immoral purpose for the purposes of prosecution for importuning in a public place for immoral purposes;(2) what guidance his Department issues to police forces as to those acts which might be construed as representing gross indecency.
None. The law has been interpreted by the courts. If necessary the police can turn to the Crown prosecution service for advice.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department issues to police forces on criteria to be employed when deciding between prosecution for the offences of indecency between men and gross indecency; and what is his Department's definition of indecency between males as used in its sexual offences statistics.
None. Charges brought under section 13 of the Sexual Offences Act 1956 are for acts of gross indecency between men. There is no lesser offence of indecency as opposed to gross indecency.