§ 17 and 18. Mr. G. M. Thomsonasked the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) when section 1 of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act, 1963, making it mandatory for the courts to call on reports before sentencing young first offenders, is to be brought into operation;
(2) what progress has been made with the building or adaptation of young offenders' institutions; and when it is expected to bring into operation the appropriate 420 sections of the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act, 1963, referring to these institutions.
§ Mr. NobleThe provisions of the Act relating to reports on young offenders and to young offenders' institutions are closely associated, and it is planned to bring them into operation together early in 1965. Work to provide separate accommodation for young offenders by adaptation and by new building is in hand at Edinburgh and Dumfries; the small unit required for girls will be erected this year at Greenock.
§ Mr. ThomsonI thank the Secretary of State for that Answer, but would he not consider it worth while drawing a distinction between the buildings required for these institutions and the implementing of the provisions of the Act calling for reports? Is it not elementary commonsense that in the case of young offenders there should be a proper report on the home and other circumstances before deciding the appropriate sentence?
§ Mr. NobleI agree that this is technically possible, but my advisers think that it would be better to bring these two provisions of Section 1 of the Act into force together.
§ Mr. WoodburnCan the right hon. Gentleman say how far he has got with the development of Polmont, and is this type of institution to be added to the existing one? Is it now complete and likely to be occupied soon?