18. Mr. David Adamsasked the Home Secretary whether he will consider the advisability of introducing legislation to provide statutory limitation to the powers of courts, when placing offenders on probation, to make conditions which are in their nature unreasonable, unjust, or unduly onerous?
§ Mr. LloydI would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 21st July to the hon. Member for the English Universities (Mr. Harvey).
Mr. AdamsIs the hon. Member aware that just recently a certain bench of magistrates, in placing two youths of 18 years of age on probation, stated that they only did so subject to their joining the Territorial Army, and does he not consider that that is an abuse of authority?
§ Mr. LloydNo, Sir, I was not aware of that. As I said in my reply on 21st July, my right hon. Friend will bear in mind the desirability of dealing with this particular matter in some future circular to magistrates.