§ Mr. Simsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total of young people accommodated in borstal institutions on the most recent convenient date; what were the corresponding figures for each of the last three years; how many of those at present in borstal institutions will have reached the statutory school leaving age at the time of their discharge; and how many of those at present in borstal institutions were subject to care orders at the time of their committal to borstal.
§ Dr. SummerskillOn 15th November. 5,971 young people between the ages of 15 and 20 were held in borstals. The corresponding figures for the three preceding years were as follows:
Some 320 trainees now serving sentences in borstals are below the statutory school leaving age, but, as the time spent in custody under a borstal sentence is indeterminate, we cannot say how many will have reached the statutory school leaving age by the date of their discharge. I regret that no information is readily available to indicate how many of those now in borstals were the subject of care orders when sentenced to borstal training.
1974 5,425 1973 5,026 1972 5,428
§ Mr. Simsasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average age of the inmates of borstal institutions at the most recent convenient date; and what was the figure for the corresponding dates in each of the last three years.
585W
§ Dr. SummerskillOn 30th June this year and on the same date in 1974 and 1973, the average age of young offenders serving sentences in borstals was 18 years. Comparable information for 1972 is not readily available, but there is no reason to think that the figure for that year would be significantly different.