§ 33. Mr. Roseasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will set up an inquiry into the place of detention centres within the United Kingdom penal system and the methods of correction employed in them.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Miss Alice Bacon)My right hon. Friend is considering whether it would now be appropriate to review this issue, so far as England and Wales are concerned, and how this would best be done.
§ Mr. RoseIs my right hon. Friend aware of the grave misgivings of many hon. Members about the efficacy and purpose of these institutions? When undertaking the survey, will she bear in mind what she hopes to achieve by these institutions from a penal and reformative point of view?
§ Miss BaconI realise there are two points of view about detention centres. I have often been pressed by hon. Members on both sides of the House to provide more detention centre places, and the courts have been asking for more. However, we feel that at this time it would be appropriate to look at detention centres as they are operating to see whether there could be some improvement.
§ Mr. CarlisleDoes not the right hon. Lady agree, that, contrary to what the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Mr. Rose) has said, many people consider detention centres to be about the most successful part of our present penal system? Does she agree that the real trouble is that the courts have places available for only under 50 per cent. of the people they wish to send there? What is the right hon. Lady doing about providing more detention centres?
§ Miss BaconThis illustrates what I said about there being two points of view, but we shall take into consideration every point of view in the review which is to take place. However, if we decide to have something else instead of detention centres it would have to be some establishment which would cater for those youths who required short-term treatment of some kind.
§ Mr. WhitakerIs my right hon. Friend aware that in the opinion of a great number of social workers in this country detention centres rely far too much on obsolete barrack-square methods and far too little on retraining and re-education and proper work training?
§ Miss BaconThese are all things which will be taken into consideration, but it must be remembered that the boys who are sent to the detention centres are there for only three or six months. There is a limit to what can be done in such a short time.