HL Deb 19 January 1944 vol 130 cc469-70
THE EARL OF LISTOWEL

My Lords, on behalf of my noble friend Lord South-wood, I beg to ask the question standing in his name.

[The question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government, whether they will supply the latest available returns showing the number of juveniles found guilty of indictable offences as compared with the figures given in Home Office Circular 807624 and Board of Education Circular 1554, dealing with Juvenile Offences, published in June 1941.

THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA AND BURMA (THE EARL or MUNSTER)

My Lords, I will with my noble friend's per- mission circulate in the Official Report a statement showing separately the figures for children under fourteen years of age and the figures for young people between fourteen and seventeen years of age found guilty of indictable offences in each of the years 1939, 1940, 1941 and 1942, and in the first nine months of 1943. The figures for the complete year 1943 are not yet available.

[The figures are as follows:

Boys and girls under 17 found guilty of indictable offences in magistrates' courts in England and Wales. (Number and percentage increase on figures for 1939.)
Year Under 14. Aged 14–16. Total.
1939 17,664 12,879 30,543
1940 24,613 17,265 41,878
(39%) (34%) (37%)
1941 24,605 18,611 43,216
(39%) (45%) (41%)
1942 21,943 16,238 38,181
(24%) (26%) (25%)
1943 (first nine months) 18,131 12,296 30,427
The figures for 1942 and 1943 are provision a and liable to some adjustment.]