§ 28. Major GLYNasked the Home Secretary what were the figures of entry of male and female juvenile offenders into the Borstal institutions in England and Wales in 1918, 1919, and 1920; and whether, seeing that in the opinion of the Committees of those institutions, from evidence of the police courts, there is every reason to believe that criminal ideas are inculcated into the minds of children by the character of some films that now pass the Censorship Committee, the Home Office will obtain reports from prison authorities and police court magistrates in London and the provinces as to what their opinion is of the present censorship of cinema films?
§ Mr. SHORTTThe numbers were, in 1918, 525 males and 87 females; in 1919, 587 males and 98 females; in 1920, 704 males and 76 females. There is no evidence that the increase in the number of males which has followed demobilisation is due to the influence of cinematograph films. It is obvious that the production of sensational films cannot exercise a wholesome influence on young people, but inquiries that have been made from time to time have found very little definite evidence to show that crime can be directly attributed to such films. The Chief Magistrate also informs me that no evidence of this kind has come under his notice.