§ 30. Mr. de Freitasasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unconvicted persons between the ages of 17 and 21 years were remanded in prison and subsequently sentenced to a term at a detention centre during the last three months.
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeThe number of persons between 17 and 21 years of age convicted between 1st August and 31st October, 1955, who had been remanded in prison before being sentenced to detention was 14.
§ Mr. de FreitasWere not detention centres meant to be an alternative to prison, and is it not a confession of failure that there are not enough remand centres for these unconvicted young people to be sent to? What is the Home Secretary going to do about it?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeIn some cases, it may well be, they were remanded in custody until the magistrates had decided what they should do. They could be either on bail or not, according to the circumstances. The magistrates alone are the ones to decide. The number remanded was about 36 between 17 and 21 in the three months. It is for the magistrates to decide what they should do, whether to send them to detention centres or not.
§ Mr. de FreitasIs it not a fact that these young people are unconvicted and remanded in prison, which is contrary to the intentions of Parliament in the Act?
§ Major Lloyd-GeorgeIf the hon. Gentleman has any specific case and will let me have particulars of it, I shall be very glad to look into it. So far as I can make out, it is for the magistrate to decide what he is going to do with the unconvicted young person. I shall be glad to look into the matter.