§ Mr. MichaelTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work his Department has undertaken to establish the number of persistent juvenile offenders; and what is his estimate of the number of such offenders at the present time.
§ Mr. MacleanA survey of police forces and local authority social services departments last year identified 106 juveniles who met the criteria for persistent offenders specified in that survey. It was immediately recognised that this figure was a significant underestimate: not all respondents—including two of the largest police forces —held their information in a way which allowed them to produce precise numerical data. Consequently, further research on persistent juvenile offending was commissioned by the Home Office. The report is expected to be available in the near future.