§ Mr. John Home Robertsonasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish information giving the number of children and young persons under the age of 17 years who were in remand homes, borstals and similar penal institutions in England and Wales for the years from 1970 to date.
§ Mr. BrittanInformation is not available in the form requested. However, information on the number of young persons aged under 17 who were received into prison department establishments in England and Wales as untried or convicted unsentenced prisoners during the years 1971–79 is published in table 2.3 of "Prison statistics 173W England and Wales 1979" (Cmnd 7978). Table 2.2 shows for 1979 the effect of double counting of those who were received both as untried and convicted unsentenced. Information on the number of young persons aged under 17 received under sentence during the years 1970 to 1979 is published in table 3.5. Figures for 1980 are not yet available. Corresponding information on the population of young persons is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.