§ 37. Mr. BRIANTasked the Home Secretary whether, when the House resumes its sittings after the summer Recess, he will present a return showing, for the two previous months, in what proportion of the eases of offences by children the father was dead, disabled, or had deserted the home, and the mother went out to work?
§ Mr. SHORTTThis information is not at present available, and could only be obtained by calling for returns from every children's court or police authority in England and Wales. As it is recognised that the absence of parental control may be one of the causes of juvenile delinquency, I do not think it necessary to incur the expense and labour involved in preparing the return.