52. Mr. Edmund Harveyasked the Home Secretary what action was taken in the case of the 15 boys and three girls who were received into prison in 1936 without any certificate of the court, in accordance with the provisions of the Children and Young Persons Act, 1933; and whether he will issue instructions that in future no boys and girls under 17 years are to be received into prison without such a certificate in each case?
§ Sir S. HoarePrison governors have instructions to bring any such cases immediately to my notice. In three of these 18 cases the court was prepared to issue the necessary certificate: two cases were girls who reached the age of 17 while on remand; in nine cases the period of remand was so short (in some cases 586 for one night only) that no action could be taken: in the remaining four cases three boys and one girl were removed to remand homes. As regards seven of the 18 cases, five boys and two girls had told the court that they were over 17 and their true ages were not discovered till after they had been received into prison.
Mr. HarveyCan instructions be given to governors of prison to refer cases of this kind to remand homes, when they know the ages of the children concerned?
§ Sir S. HoareYes, Sir. New instructions are being issued to prison governors that they are not in future to receive anybody under the age of 17 into the prison unless the document accompanying the prisoner authorises them to do so.