HC Deb 13 April 1961 vol 638 cc35-9W
26. Mr. Iremonger

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT a statement showing the progress made in each of the 17 projects undertaken by the Home Office Research Unit listed in Appendix B, Current Research on Crime, to Command Paper No. 645, Penal Practice in a Changing Society, and indicate in each case how he proposes to make the reports available to students and the general public.

17. Mr. Vosper

The following is the reply:

Progress of research projects listed in the White Paper as having been undertaken by the Home Office Research Unit

Prediction Studies

  1. (i) Continuous Borstal Study. This is proceeding satisfactorily but the boys for whom data have been collected have not yet been at liberty long enough to enable a follow-up study to be completed.
  2. (ii) Homeless Borstal Boys. This has been taken over by a post-graduate student at the University of Cambridge, who is completing the study as part of his work for a doctorate.
  3. (iii), (iv), (v). Comparison of treatments. A comparison of the results of different forms of treatment of young men was published in an article by the hon. Member for Chesterfield in the British Journal of Delinquency (January, 1959). These studies are being continued by the Research Unit, and Professor W. T. Williams of Southampton University is affording generous assistance in analysing data by original electronic computer methods.
  4. (vi) Probation Research. Research in the form intended was discontinued at a very early stage and arrangements are now in hand for a large-scale study of a different kind.
  5. (vii) The comparison of prisoners serving their first and second prison sentences is proceeding. The collection of information has been completed and it is being analysed.
  6. (viii) Preventive Detention Prisoners—Selection for Release. This research proved unexpectedly complicated and is still proceeding. A study of the use of hostels for preventive detention and other long-term prisoners is also about to begin.
  7. (ix) A report on some of the Scottish data collected has been published as an Appendix to the Report of the Scottish Advisory Council on the Treatment of Offenders on the Use of Short Sentences of Imprisonment by the Courts (1960). Two further reports are in preparation and others may follow.

Crimes of Violence. Information from this study has been used for internal Home Office purposes, but is not considered of sufficient value to justify the publication of a report.

Study of After-Care. A report on this study was presented to the Advisory Council on the Treatment of Offenders and published as an Appendix to their report on the After-Care and Supervision of Discharged Prisoners (1958).

Corrective Trainees, etc. A preliminary report on the results of this investigation has shown the need for further enquiries, which are now in progress.

Women's After-Care. Data collected from the Central After-Care Association (Women's and Girls' Division) are still being analysed.

6 and 7. A report entitled "Time Spent Awaiting Trial" was published in 1960 by H.M. Stationery Office.

8. Preliminary reports on this study have been prepared, but further work has been found necessary and is proceeding as time permits.

Preventive Detention. A report is in draft and the question of its publication is under consideration.

Sexual Offenders. A report is in draft and the question of its publication is under consideration.

Population Trends. This is continuing work and there are no plans for publication.

Incidence of criminality. A report entitled "Delinquent Generations" was published in 1960 by H.M. Stationery Office.

13. Home Office collaboration with the National Survey of Child Health and Development is continuing and a Government grant has now been approved to assist the continuation of the survey.

Illegitimate Children (Leicester). This study was superseded by an expansion of the National Survey of Child Health and Development (see 13) and discontinued.

Illegitimate Children. An article based on this research, entitled "A study of Unmarried Mothers and their Children", was published in "Moral Welfare" (July, 1960).

Previous Offences of Delinquent Children. This has had to be put aside in favour of more urgent work, but will be resumed when time permits.

Problem Families. A report has been completed and the question of publication is being considered.

The question of the publication of reports on work by the Home Office Research Unit is one on which a separate decision is made with regard to each research project. In general, the publication of research results is regarded as desirable, but in some cases the results may not be thought to warrant publication, and in others the research may have been undertaken for official purposes only.

27. Mr. Iremonger

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a statement showing the progress made in each of the 15 studies and research projects undertaken with the assistance of Government grants listed in Appendix B to Command Paper No. 645, Penal Practice in a Changing Society, and indicate in each case how the reports are being made available to students and the general public.

5. Mr. Vosper

The following is the reply:

Research assisted by Government Grants

Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University (formerly the Department of Criminal Science).

  1. (a) Crimes of Violence. A report on Offences of Robbery is with the publisher and a report on other crimes of violence is expected to be completed within the next two or three months.
  2. (b) Attendance Centres. A report is with the publisher.
  3. (c) Probation. A report has been published entitled "The Results of Probation" (Macmillan, 1958).

Oxford University.

  1. (a) Short-term treatment of boys. A report on Detention Centres has been completed and the results were summarized in an article by Dr. M. Grünhut in the British Journal of Delinquency (January, 1955). A report on the whole of this research is likely to be completed shortly.
  2. (b) Section 4, Criminal Justice Act, 1948. A report has been completed and is about to be considered by the Probation Advisory and Training Board.
  3. (c) Delinquent Girls. This study is still in progress.

University College, London.

Senior Girls at Approved Schools. A report on this research is approaching completion.

London School of Economics.

  1. (a) Use of imprisonment by Magistrates' Courts. A report has been completed and is about to be published.
  2. (b) Short-term imprisonment. A report has been completed and is about to be published.
  3. (c) Use of imprisonment by Higher Courts. The analysis of data is still continuing.
  4. (d) Social Consequences of Crime. This research has been transferred to the Institute of Criminology and is still in progress.
  5. (e) Group Relations in Prison. A report on this investigation is approaching completion.
  6. (f) Attitude changes in Borstal. This study has been completed and submitted as a thesis for a doctorate.

Tavistock Institute of Human Relations. Norwich Experiment. A report has been completed and the question of publication is under consideration.

6. Dr. S. Schafer. Restitution, A report on this research has been published under the title "Restitution to Victims of Crime" (Library of Criminology No. 2 (Stevens & Sons 1960)).

Publication of research reports by members of universities is usually arranged directly between the author and a publisher.

Mr. Iremonger

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report a statement showing progress made in each of the 39 studies and research projects being undertaken independently, as listed in Appendix B to Command Paper No. 645, Penal Practice in a Changing Society, and indicate in each case how the reports are being made available to students and the general public.

Mr. R. A. Butler

The Home Office is not kept systematically in touch with the progress of research work in universities unless the research is supported by a Government grant. If my hon. Friend would care to communicate with me I shall be glad to give him whatever information I may have about any particular research study in which he may be interested.