§ MR. WEDGWOOD (Newcastle-under-Lyme)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, upon further consideration, he can see his way to give facilities to the Youthful Offenders Bill.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Gladstone.) No, Sir. I am afraid the Government cannot do this. As I said, in reply to my hon. friend's previous Question on the 24th April, the effect of the Probation of Offenders Bill, which is now before the House, will in many cases be to substitute for fine and imprisonment a new method of dealing with offenders, which will be especially applicable to juvenile cases. My hon. friend the Under-Secretary hopes, moreover, to introduce next session, on behalf of the Government, a comprehensive Bill dealing with many points relating to the protection of children and the offences committed by them, and in connection with that Bill the question raised in the Youthful Offenders Bill will be carefully considered.