§ Mr. Wyn Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many young offenders were made the subject of care orders by Welsh courts in 1974 and 1975; how many were assessed as requiring custodial treatment; and how many actually received it;
(2) how many young offenders, made the subject of care orders in Wales in 1974 and 1975, received non-custodial treatment.
§ Mr. Barry JonesInformation is not available in the form asked. The following information is available from Home Office statistics for 1974. In that year, of 333W those persons aged under 17 who were sentenced for indictable offences by Magistrates' Courts in Wales, 416 were made the subject of care order to a local authority, 269 were given detention centre orders or attendance centre orders.
Of the 416 who were committed to the care of local authorities it is not known how many were assessed as needing residential care or how many received it. This information could be obtained only by a disproportionate amount of time and expenditure.
§ Mr. Wyn Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Wales what financial resources have been made available to and by local authorities in Wales annually for the provision of residential homes for young offenders since the Children and Young Persons Act 1969.
§ Mr. Barry JonesSince the implementation of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969, there has been no special financial provision for residential homes for young offenders. Community homes, which embrace the former approved schools and remand homes, are available for all children in the care of a local authority.
Approval has been given to expenditure on Community Homes as set out below:
£ 1970–71 30,000 1971–72 250,751 1972–73 217,836 1973–74 955,415 1974–75 679,476 1975–76 780,000 (Estimated)
§ Mr. Wyn Robertsasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many remand homes, assessment centres and community homes for young offenders there are in Wales; and how many places they contain.
§ Mr. Barry JonesSince the implementation of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969, approved schools and remand homes have been part of the community home system. Community homes are intended to meet a variety of needs and are not related to the reasons for young people coming into care. Observation and assessment centres are not reserved for determining the needs of young offenders but are open to all children in care. There are 146 community homes334W providing 1,829 places; included are 11 observation and assessment centres providing 241 places, and six community homes with education on the premises providing 402 places.