§ MR. ARTHUR O'CONNORasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether the Government will consider the desirability of introducing a measure for the alteration of the pro- 1820 visions of the existing Law, under which it is necessary that a juvenile offender should be sentenced to a term of imprisonment before being sent to a Reformatory School?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTSir, I am anxious to enable Parliament to deal with the subject of the treatment of juvenile offenders. But the introduction of a Bill will depend upon the progress made with the Business now before the House. Opinion on the question is divided. I find from the opinions which I have been able to collect from the authorities best fitted to pronounce judgment on the subject, that 35 are in favour of the imprisonment of juvenile offenders before they are sent to a reformatory, and 139 take the opposite view. My own opinion inclines to that of the majority.