§ Lord H. CAVENDISH - BENTINCKasked the Home Secretary what percentage of the women placed on probation in the Metropolitan area during the last 12 months have been required to go into homes as a condition of their probation order; whether these women are regarded as having broken their probation if they leave these homes; and whether the homes are inspected by any public authority?
Mr. HENDERSONI can only give the figures for the year ending the 31st December, 1923. During that period 542 women and girls were placed on probation from the Metropolitan Police Courts, and of these, 53, or 9.8 per cent., were required to reside in homes as a condition of the probation order. When this condition is broken the probationer would be reported to the magistrate who made the order, and who would deal with each case on its merits. The homes are well known to the magistrates or the probation officers, whose duty it is to keep in touch with the probationers, and, if necessary, may be inspected under the provisions of the Children Act, if they are not already liable to inspection by any other Government Department.