§ Mr. Dellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) in what percentage of cases in the November, 1970, sample of offenders a woman received a first sentence of immediate imprisonment in a magistrates' court without there being a social inquiry report; and what was the percentage where a first sentence of imprisonment was suspended;
(2) in what percentage of cases, in the November, 1970, sample of offenders, a man received a first sentence of immediate imprisonment in a magisrates' court without there being a social inquiry report; and what was the percentage where a first sentence of imprisonment was suspended;
(3) in what percentage of cases, in the November, 1970, sample of offenders, a first offender as defined by the First Offenders Act, 1968, was sentenced to imprisonment by a magistrates' court without there being a social inquiry report; and if he will give the information divided by men, women, immediate imprisonment and suspended sentences of imprisonment.
§ Mr. CarlisleThe information available from the survey carried out by the Home Office shows that social inquiry reports were considered before a prison sentence was imposed by magistrates' courts in the following, percentages of cases:
magistrates' courts were: 29 per cent. in inner London and 71 per cent. elsewhere. No further breakdown of the figures by area is available.
§ Mr. Dellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will give the size of the November, 1970, sample of offenders studied in relation to the working of Home Office Circulars 188/1968 and 189/1968; how many offenders there were in each category for 361W which information can be derived; what areas were covered; and how many offenders there were in each category in each area.
§ Mr. CarlisleThe survey was based on an original sample of 546 persons sentenced in 123 higher courts and 737 persons sentenced in 310 magistrates' courts throughout England and Wales in November, 1970. The only available
Higher Courts Magistrates' Courts London Others Total Inner London Others Total Offenders sentenced to detention in a detention centre … … 11 66 77 16 281 297 Male offenders sentenced to borstal training … … … 29 185 214 — — — Male offenders with no previous custody given a suspended sentence of imprisonment … … 18 65 83 80 165 245 Male offenders with no previous custody sentenced to imprisonment (sentence not suspended) … 24 75 99 12 35 47 Female offenders sentenced to borstal training … … … 0 8 8 — — — Female offenders receiving a suspended sentence of imprisonment … … … … 4 25 29 27 78 105 Female offenders sentenced to imprisonment (sentence not suspended) … … … … 2 34 36 11 32 43 88 458 546 146 391 737
§ Mr. Dellasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what further research he is planning into the working of Home Office Circulars 188/1968 and 189/1968; and whether he has done research into the working of these circulars more recent than that into the November, 1970 sample of offenders.
§ Mr. CarlisleNo research into the working of Home Office circulars 188 and 189/1968 has been carried out in respect of a more recent period than November, 1970, except for a small sample of Inner London magistrates' courts in November, 1971. My right hon. Friend has no plans at present for further research of this kind, but he will be considering, in consultation with representatives of magistrates and the probation and after-care service, the implications of the recently completed survey.