HC Deb 15 July 1963 vol 681 cc289-90
Mr. Brooke

I beg to move, in page 36, line 36, after "committee", to insert: or by any juvenile court panel concerned". This, again, is an Amendment which I am happy to move to meet a point raised by the hon. Member for Widnes (Mr. MacColl) in Committee. I am rather inclined to think that I was right in Committee in saying that no such Amendment is strictly needed, because I believe that these juvenile court panels would in any case have opportunity to express their views when there is a question of the formation of a combined juvenile court panel for two or more petty sessions areas.

But I could see that the hon. Gentleman attached considerable importance to the right of the juvenile court panel concerned to have statutory authority for putting its views forward in the appropriate quarter, and this may perhaps clarify the position still further. At any rate, the hon. Gentleman will agree that it puts it beyond doubt, and I hope that he will receive it with the same kind of welcome as he gave to a recent Amendment.

Mr. MacColl

The right hon. Gentleman rather gave the impression that he is proposing to insert these words only to try to sweeten me a little. I do not think that that is quite correct. No doubt in a normal area where proposals for combining the juvenile courts are being discussed, as a matter of courtesy the panel would be consulted. But it seemed to me—and I think the words show it—that the responsibility rested with the magistrates' courts committee.

The juvenile court panel and the magistrates' courts committee are not the same and do not necessarily have very cordial relations with each other. They may, but in some cases they do not. They are very often of different generations for one thing. Therefore, I think it is important to make quite certain that the proposal, which essentially affects the juvenile court panel, should be considered by it and not just by the magistrates' courts committee.

I am glad that the right hon. Gentleman has met the point, because I think that it will remove any misgivings and will help towards the smooth working of this proposal. I think that most people will recognise that in most areas it may well be desirable to have combined courts, and this will make it easier to achieve that, and for that reason I welcome the Amendment.

Amendment agreed to.