§ 10. Dr. Brayasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the number of cases brought before juvenile courts has increased, relative to the level elsewhere in the country, in areas of high and rising juvenile unemployment.
§ Mr. BrookeThe increase in juvenile unemployment is quite recent, and so I regret that statistics of court cases on which to base a comparison are not yet available.
§ Dr. BrayIs the Home Secretary aware that those of us who represent constituencies with high and rising levels of unemployment are very much aware of the social problems created and, in particular, the one referred to in the Question? We feel that the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Labour are not sufficiently appreciative of the social consequences. Will the right hon. Gentleman's Department take steps to bring this fact to the attention of those Ministries?
§ Mr. BrookeThe hon. Member has raised an important question of juvenile delinquency. The steps taken by the Prime Minister to appoint Lord Hail-sham with special responsibility for this area prove that the Government are thoroughly alive to all aspects of the problem. But I can assure the hon. Member that I intend to keep the closest watch on any correlation between juvenile delinquency and unemployment.