§ 6. Mr. Michael McNair-Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to introduce parental liability as a circumstance to be considered in cases involving children under 10 years of age.
§ Dr. SummerskillJuvenile courts are required to take into consideration all the circumstances of a child's background before deciding what order, if any, to make in care proceedings. In my view the court's power to bind over parents to take proper care of and exercise proper control over their child is a sufficient reminder of parental responsibility.
§ Mr. McNair-WilsonSince that can mean that nothing will be done to impose a real penalty upon the parents, should not parents be fined when they choose to refrain from restraining their children from committing petty crime?
§ Dr. SummerskillThere already is power in the case of children over 10 for the parents to be liable to pay a fine or compensation. The Criminal Law Act 1977 raise the level of fines as well as providing additional powers to enforce payments on parents. I do not think that these are sufficiently well known.
§ Mr. RathboneWill the Minister reconsider her answer and see whether it 616 would be advisable to extend these powers to cover the parents of children under 10?
§ Dr. SummerskillChildren under 10 are not legally able to be convicted of a criminal offence. I should like to see how the present changes in the Criminal Law Act oeprate before we consider further changes.
§ Mr. McNair-WilsonOn a point of order, Mr. Speaker. In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the Minister's reply, I give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment at the earliest possible moment.