§ 43. Mr. William Sheltonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department in view of the present inadequate number of places in the borstal system, what plans he has to increase the number of places.
§ Mr. CarlisleWork will start this financial year on a new borstal at Glen Parva in Leicestershire, and the Home Office is seeking planning clearance for further schemes to provide at least 2,000 additional borstal places.
§ Mr. SheltonI should like to thank my hon. Friend for that Answer.
§ Mr. FordWould the hon. and learned Gentleman not agree that there is already a dire shortage of places in remand homes? Would he take steps to remedy this, particularly for girls?
§ Mr. CarlisleI agree that there is a shortage in all parts of the prison service, in the provision of places in prisons, remand centres and borstals. We are doing what we can to provide additional places.
§ Mr. PagetWould it be possible to inform the judiciary that, for the time being, it is no use sentencing people to borstal when there are no borstals to take them, and that the worst form of treatment is waiting in remand homes or prisons for places which do not exist?
§ Mr. CarlisleOn the second part of that question, I am happy to be able to tell the hon. and learned Gentleman that we have managed to reduce the period spent in local prisons from about three months at the beginning of the year to at most a period of four weeks. On the first part of the question, I do not think that it is up to the Home Secretary to offer any advice of that kind to the courts.
§ 50. Mr. Russell Kerrasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Borstal inmates were receiving military training on 31st October, 1970; how many Borstal graduates had joined the permanent forces during the preceding ten years; and whether he will make a statement regarding the Government's 604 intentions about military training inside Borstal Institutions.
§ 51. Mrs. Fennerasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the practice of rifle training as part of army cadet activities in Borstal establishments was initiated; if he is aware of the concern felt; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. CarlisleUnits of the Army Cadet Force were formed at certain borstals in England during or immediately after the last war; 57 trainees were members of the two units which still existed on 31st October, 1970. Information about the number of former trainees who joined the Armed Forces during the preceding 10 years is not available.
Army Cadet Force training has been regarded as a useful means of training and discipline for selected borstal trainees. My right hon. Friend is asking his Advisory Council on the Penal System to review this practice as part of its comprehensive review of the treatment of young offenders.
§ Mr. KerrI thank the hon. Gentleman for that Answer. Can he assure the House that he will not allow borstal institutions to become unofficial recruiting sergeants for the Armed Forces?
§ Mr. CarlisleI am not quite sure what the hon. Gentleman means by that supplementary question. What I said was—and the present position is—that Army Cadet Force training has for many years been considered a perfectly suitable form of training in borstals. This matter has now been referred to the Advisory Council. To the extent that the hon. Gentleman's supplementary question casts any slur on the Armed Forces, I must refute it.
§ Mrs. FennerIs my hon. Friend aware that in the present state of overcrowding in borstals, this practice of teaching rifle training is bound to cause concern in areas immediately close to borstals?
§ Mr. CarlisleThis form of training takes place in only two borstals in England. It is of a very limited nature and, as I said, this whole matter has been referred to the Advisory Council. This body is now studying the system and will give the Home Secretary the benefit of its advice.