§ Captain MACMILLANasked the Home Secretary whether he has any information as to the number of boys over 16, girls over 16, boys between 14 and 16, and girls between 14 and 16, respectively, who are being detained in voluntary homes under a condition of residence imposed by the Courts under Section 8 of the Criminal Justice Administration Act, 1914; whether his attention has been directed to the dangers, pointed out on page 55 of the Juvenile Offenders Committee Report, of such detention in homes that are not under any Government inspection; whether any and what steps have been taken to carry out the provisions of Section 25 (1) of the Children Act, 1908, as to the visiting and inspection of such homes; arid whether any persons have been appointed under that Section to carry out its provisions?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe numbers of boys between 16 and 21, girls between 16 and 21, boys between 14 and 16, and girls between 14 and 16, respectively, who were ordered to be detained during 1927 in voluntary homes under a condition of a Probation Order were 113, 142, 61, and 34. I have read the Report of the Juvenile Offenders Committee and also the Final Report of the Child Adoption Committee and proposals to amend Section 25 of the Children Act, 1908, relating to voluntary homes as recommended in the last-named Report will be included in the Bill to amend the Children Act which I hope to introduce as soon as possible. Inspections of voluntary homes are constantly being carried out by Inspectors of the Children's Branch of the Home Office in accordance with the provisions of Section 25 (1). When this Section first came into operation, nine appointments were made in 3265W favour of persons recommended by societies established for the prevention of cruelty to children, but five of these appointments have been surrendered or recalled, and it is believed that the other appointments are no longer acted on, as the work of inspection has been taken over by the Inspectors of the Children's Branch of the Home Office?