§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) boys and (b) girls were held on remand in custody in penal establishments in the last year for which figures are available who were (i) acquitted and (ii) given non-custodial sentences; and what was the average length of time that these were on remand in custody.
§ Mr. AncramOf the 147 children who were held on remand in penal establishments in 1983, 47 were committed by the court to a period of residential training,208W and five were sentenced to detention. Each of these disposals leads to detention in a place and on such conditions as the Secretary of State directs. In all but a very small minority of cases the place directed by the Secretary of State is a list D school.
No information is held centrally which indicates how many of the remaining 95 children held on remand in a penal establishment were acquitted, were given non-custodial disposals by the court, or were referred to a children's hearing for disposal.
The average period spent in custody on remand in a penal establishment was 26 days.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) boys and (b) girls aged under 17 years were held on remand in penal establishments in the last year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. AncramSeparate figures for young offenders aged 16 are not available. The numbers of children aged under 16 held on remand in penal establishments during 1983 was:
Numbers Boys 141 Girls 6
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the number, by age, sex and location, of juveniles on remand in custody in penal establishments at the latest date for which figures are available; and what were the offences with which they were charged and the length of time on remand.
§ Mr. AncramOn 30 October 1984, 11 boys aged 15 and no girls were held on remand in Scottish penal establishments. The charges on which they were held and the time spent in custody on that date were as follows:
Nature of charges Time in custody 1. Theft by housebreaking 1 day 2. Assault and robbery 6 days 3. Theft by housebreaking 16 days 4. Civic Government Act, Bail Act 29 days 5. Theft, Road Traffic Act offences 37 days 6. Assault to severe injury, attempting to defeat the ends of justice 44 days 7. Civic Government Act, Bail Act 29 days 8. Theft, Road Traffic Act offences 8 days 9. Attempted murder, assault to severe injury 2 days 10. Assault to severe injury 2 days 11. Assault and robbery, theft 24 days Ten of the boys were held in Longriggend remand institution and the other was held in Edinburgh prison.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the remand of juveniles to adult penal establishments.
§ Mr. AncramFor sentencing purposes in Scotland, a distinction is made between young offenders from 16 to 20 years of age inclusive and children under 16 years of age: "juveniles" is not a legal term.
Young offenders who are remanded in custody are initially remanded in all cases to an adult penal establishment. In the great majority of cases, however, they are quickly moved on to an under-21 remand institution. Children who are remanded in custody are normally located in secure accommodation provided by 209W local authorities, but where a court certifies that a child over 14 years of age is unruly or depraved the child is remanded to a penal establishment.
It is a requirement of the prison rules that remand inmates are, as far as possible, kept apart from convicted inmates; and as far as possible children remanded in a penal establishment are kept apart from other inmates on remand.