§ Mr. Onslowasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the increase in the number of convictions for vandalism since the raising of the school leaving age in each area 523W of England and Wales for which separate statistics are available.
§ Mr. Alexander W. LyonThere is no specific criminal offence of vandalism. The following table gives, for the years 1970–74, the numbers of those found guilty and cautioned respectively in England and Wales for offences of criminal or malicious damage. I regret that this information is not available separately for individual areas. The effect of the raising of the school-leaving age was that pupils who could have left school at the minimum age at the end of the Easter or summer terms in 1973 remained at school until the end of the corresponding terms in 1974.
PERSONS FOUND GUILTY OF, OR CAUTIONED FOR, OFFENCES OF CRIMINAL OR MALICIOUS DAMAGE: ENGLAND AND WALES, 1970 TO 1974 Persons found guilty Persons cautioned Year Aged under 17 Aged 17 and over Aged under 17 Aged 17 and over 1970 4,410 12,002 2,393 289 1971 4,909 13,837 3,240 395 1972 7,680 19,133 4,721 437 1973 9,678 23,569 5,582 612 1974 10,133 26,152 6,564 602