§ 17. Mr. A. Brownasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many boys and girls, respectively, were committed to the care of the Kent County Council, during the period 1st January, 1960, to 31st December, 1962, as a result of prosecutions alleging nonattendance at school; and how many parents of these children have been denied access to or information concerning their child.
§ The Joint Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department (Miss Mervyn Pike)I understand that in this period 21 boys and 16 girls were committed 1521 to the care of the Kent County Council as a result of irregular school attendance; the parents of seven of the boys and five of the girls had been prosecuted on this account. One parent of these children was not allowed to visit her child for a time.
§ Mr. BrownIs it not quite wrong that children should be placed in the care of a local authority and sent away from their parents on grounds of truancy alone? Will my hon. Friend now consider extending free legal aid to poor parents who are placed in the position of having to defend their children before the courts?
§ Miss PikeAs my hon. Friend knows, there are several courses open to juvenile courts for enforcing school attendance, but there are circumstances in which committal to care is in the child's best interest. The second part of the supplementary question is another matter, but I will draw my right hon. Friend's attention to it.