§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) boys and (b) girls under the age of 16 years were serving a custodial sentence on 1 March. [113832]
§ Mr. BoatengThe latest available information for persons held in Prison Service establishments is for 31 January 2000. On that date, there were 166 males and five females aged 15 years serving a custodial sentence in prisons in England and Wales. Information on the numbers held in Secure Training Centres (STCs) is available only for the current date and shows that on 9 March there were 103 sentenced 12–14 year-old males held. Information on other persons aged less than 16 years in local authority accommodation is published in a Department of Health statistical bulletin entitled "Children Accommodated in Secure Units". This information is presented on a financial year basis with the last report covering the year ending 31 March 1999.
Information on the population of persons aged 15 years in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales is published in "Prison statistics England and Wales" (Table 3.2 of the 1998 edition, column 4430) a copy of which is in the Library.