§ Mr. Martinasked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the evidence of the disturbing effect of exceptionally high wages on the character and conduct of adolescents, he is considering taking any action in the matter?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonRepresentations have been made to me by some juvenile court justices and probation officers that cases have occurred in which boys in receipt of abnormally high wages have been brought up on charges of theft. There are, of course, many other factors affecting the incidence of juvenile delinquency and it would be unwise to draw too general an inference from the cases which have attracted public attention; but, no doubt, if boys in their teens before their characters are formed are suddenly put in a position of relative affluence, this is likely to have a bad effect on some of them. As was stated last Tuesday by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Labour, an agreement has recently been concluded in the building industry, which has been mentioned in this connection, which will have the effect of bringing the wages of youths under 18 within stricter limits. I am considering the whole problem in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Labour.