Cautioning Guidelines (Hansard, 19 May 1994)

§ 10. Mr. Sykes
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response he has had to the new guidelines on cautioning; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Howard
The new cautioning guidelines have been widely welcomed. The early indications are that they are already starting to have the intended effect.

§ Mr. Sykes
Will the Home Secretary promise that his welcome statement marks an end to the scandalous string of cautions that have only encouraged crime? Is he aware of the widespread support for adopting some of the measures used in Singapore for successfully dealing with crime?

§ Mr. Howard
I very much hope that the cautioning guidelines will have the effect to which my hon. Friend referred, but the measures taken in Singapore go somewhat further than the cautioning guidelines that I have so far authorised.

§ Mr. Michael
Will the Home Secretary join me in reminding the House that the first caution has had a remarkable success rate, in that some 87 per cent. have not re-offended after a first cautioning? Will he also remind the House of the pressure from the Opposition for a reduction in the number of inappropriate second and subsequent cautions? Why has he not also accepted the constructive proposals that we have put forward to deal immediately with the causes of offending and nip things in the bud as soon as a second offence is committed?

§ Mr. Howard
I agree with the hon. Gentleman that the first caution has an important part to play, and nothing in my new guidance detracts from the first caution in appropriate cases. I confess that I do not recall being under great pressure from the Opposition to issue revised cautioning guidelines. Perhaps that appeared in the 10th footnote to page 103 of one of the hon. Gentleman's briefing notes. We must of course take the causes of crime seriously and take action to deal with them, but it is action, not slogans, which matter, and the Government are taking the necessary action.

§ Mr. Brazier
Does my right hon. and learned Friend accept that his measures to review the guidelines for cautioning are welcome, as the public are sick of seeing hardened youngsters being cautioned again and again? Do not the courts also have a role in the cautioning of parents? Should not we remind the courts of the considerable powers that they have enjoyed for some time now lo bind over parents whose children persistently offend?

§ Mr. Howard
The formal caution normally takes place in the presence of parents, so they see the extent to which their children are at risk if they continue to offend. As my hon. Friend knows, we have taken a number of measures, including those in the Criminal Justice and Public Order Bill, to increase the responsibility that parents must bear for the offences of their children, and which make them responsible in certain circumstances for the failure of their children to comply with the requirements of supervision orders.