HC Deb 01 May 1980 vol 983 cc634-7W
Mrs. Renee Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many custodial places are available for young offenders in (a) borstals, (b) young offenders' prisons and (c) wings of ordinary prisons; and what are their locations;

(2) how many young offenders were serving custodial sentences in (a) borstals, (b) young offenders' prisons and (c) wings of ordinary prisons at the latest convenient date;

(3) if he will list the kinds of regime a young offender may be likely to undergo if a custodial sentence is passed on him; and what is the number of places available in each.

Mr. Brittan

The regimes in young offender establishments are described in the Home Office publication "Prisons and the Prisoner" and the Home Office note of guidance to staff on the tougher regimes pilot project, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. Some young offenders serve their sentence in detention centres; the certified normal accommodation of the senior centres is 1,322 and of the junior centres. 657. Others serve sentences in borstal, young prisoner centres or wings of local prisons; their numbers on 31 March 1980 are shown below together with details of the relevant certified normal accommodation. The remaining 1,303 (1,172 male, 131 female) young prisoners were mainly accommodated in

Population as at 31 March 1980 CNA
Closed Borstals
Bullwood Hall 97 137
Deerbolt 299 300
Dover 193 246
Everthorpe 368 304
Feltham 261 270
Glen Parva 284 300
Grendon 3 25
Hindley 323 323
Huntercombe 168 170
Manchester (Borstal Allocation Centre) 241 148
Portland 408 519
Rochester 321 376
Stoke Heath 432 360
Styal 22 32
Wellingborough 341 344
Wormwood Scrubs (Borstal Allocation Centre) 137 175
Total 3,898 4,029
Open Borstals
East Sutton Park 45 40
Finnamore 47 79
Gaynes Hall 121 161
Guys Marsh 135 265
Hatfield (Main) 192 180
Hatfield (Gringley) 71 72
Hewell Grange 121 136
Hollesley Bay 266 332
Lowdham Grange 175 304
Usk (Prescoed) 71 104
Wetherby 233 240
Total 1,477 1,913
Young Prisoner Centres
Aylesbury 314 295
Castington 54 60
Erlestoke 190 205
Onley 351 420
Swinfen Hall 179 182
Total 1,088 1,162
Young Prisoner Wings in Local Prisons
Exeter 44 45
Liverpool 258 180
Manchester 202 174
Total 504 399

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offenders were serving probation orders at the latest convenient date; and how this compares with the figures for each of the previous seven years.

other local prisons and remand centres. As there needs to be some flexibility in the allocation of accommodation as between adults and young prisoners in these establishments it is not possible to specify certified normal accommodation figures applicable.

Mr. Brittan

We shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many attendance centres for young offenders are currently operating; how many places are available in each at the latest convenient date; and how many more are planned;

(2) how many attendance centres for adult offenders are currently operating; how many places are available in each at the latest convenient date; and how many more are planned.

Mr. Brittan

There are at present 90 junior attendance centres for juvenile offenders aged 10–16 (eight of which are also taking 17 and 18-year-old boys on an experimental basis) and two senior centres for male offenders aged 17–20. Attendance centres have no set capacity—the staffing levels, hours, and frequency of opening are adjusted to meet increases in the numbers attending. Eleven more junior and five more senior centres are currently at the planning stage and more will be opened where figures for offending show that additional provision is justified.

Mrs. Renée Short

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offenders were subject to community service orders in 1979 and for each of the preceding five years; and what percentage was successfully completed in each case.

Mr. Brittan

We shall reply to the hon. Member as soon as possible.

PERSONS AGED 17 AND UNDER 21 GIVEN A SUSPENDED SENTENCE OR BREACHING THE CONDITIONS OF A SUSPENDED SENTENCE
England and Wales Numbers
Year Number given a suspended sentence Number breaching a suspended sentence*
1973 3,307 845
1974 3,871 874
1975 4,556 1,060
1976 4,793 1,156
1977 5,080 1,167
1978 5,614 1,213
* By being convicted of a further offence punishable by imprisonment.