HC Deb 17 February 1975 vol 886 cc274-5W
Mr. Sims

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish in the Official Report the figures indicating the number of certificates of unruliness in respect of juveniles issued in each of the last five years.

Dr. Summerskill

A young person aged 14–16 who is awaiting trial may be remanded in custody to a prison or remand centre in England or Wales only if a court certifies that he is so unruly that he cannot safely be committed to the care of a local authority. The following table shows the number of young persons so received into custody in the last four years:

January to September
1971 1972 1973 1974*
Male 1,839 1,975 2,697 2,636
Females 96 91 155 175
* Provisional figures.

Figures for 1970 are not available.

In addition, a young person aged 14–16 who has been convicted and is awaiting sentence may be received into custody in a prison or remand centre if he has been committed to the Crown court with a view to a sentence of borstal training or if he is made the subject of an unruly certificate. I regret that the available information about the reception of convicted persons awaiting sentence does not distinguish between the numbers in these two groups.