§ Mr. HendryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent research he has carried out into potential links between the behaviour of people detained in young offenders' institutions and food supplements, food colouring and mineral deficiencies. [55048]
§ Beverley HughesNatural Justice, a registered charity, undertook a research project at Aylesbury young offender institution in 1996–97 to monitor the effects of nutritional supplements on the behaviour of young offenders. The behaviour of the young offenders was measured before and after by looking at the number of minor and Governor reports. The results were independently reviewed by the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics Directorate (RDSD) who concluded that the results demonstrated a positive effect of nutritional supplements on behaviour. However, the numbers involved were small which made drawing wider conclusions difficult.