MR. WEDGWOODS (Newcastle-under-Lyme)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were the numbers of boys and girls, aged seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen years, respectively, who were charged and summoned at the metropolitan police courts during the twelve months ended 1st May, 1907.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Gladstone.) It would be impossible to give the age of children who have merely been summoned, and many of whom have not been in police custody at all. The ages of children who have been apprehended and charged are recorded, and, so far as they are concerned, it would be possible to give the Return; but its preparation would involve a long search through the records of each of the police courts, and I am not prepared without strong reasons to impose this additional labour on the already hard-worked officers of the police courts. The hon. Member will find, in Table XIII. of the Criminal Statistics, particulars of the number of children under twelve years and between twelve and sixteen who are convicted after apprehension. I may supplement that information by the following figures for the Metropolitan Police District for the year 1905 (those for 1906 are not yet completed) — Youthful offenders convicted summarily of indictable offences, under twelve years of age, 175; between twelve and sixteen, 777. Youthful offenders apprehended and convicted of non-indictable offences, under twelve years of age, 52; between twelve and sixteen, 1,295. The hon. Member will bear in mind that these figures relate to a district with a population exceeding 6,000,000.