§ Mr. Oakesasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has reached a decision on the future of the Advisory Committee on Juvenile Delinquency.
§ Sir F. SoskiceThe Committee was set up by my predecessor to enable him to inform himself of the views of a wide variety of persons who are in close touch with different aspects of the problem of delinquency. I have studied the proceedings of the Committee and considered the replies of members to a letter in which I invited them to give their views on the Committee's future. After careful consideration I have reached the conclusion that the immediate purpose for which the Committee was established has been served and that I should not be justified in making further demands on the time of the members, to all of whom I am extremely grateful. I have accordingly decided to dissolve the Committee.
I have concluded that the two subcommittees appointed by the Committee should not continue after the dissolution of the Committee. I should like to thank particularly those members who engaged in the work of the sub-committees one of which continued to meet until recently to study the problem of the transition from school to work, and collected valuable evidence. This evidence will be forwarded to the existing advisory bodies concerned with youth employment, careers guidance and other services for the age group as a whole.