Juvenile Offenders (Hansard, 8 July 1976)

§ Mr. Cordle
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will now introduce appropriate legislation so as to amend the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 to restore to the court suitable and effective powers of punishment in the case of juvenile offenders including, in appropriate cases, corporal punishment.

§ Mr. John
A recently-published White Paper (Cmnd. 6494) contains the Government's views on the working of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969, including some proposals for strengthening the powers of the courts to deal with juvenile offenders. It does not include any proposal for the reintroduction of corporal punishment.

§ Mr. Cordle
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of detached offences in each policy authority area were committed by juveniles in the last year for which figures are available; and what were the comparable figures for each of the previous five years.

§ Dr. Summerskill
Table 1 shows the number of juveniles found guilty of or cautioned for offences in 1975, by police force areas. Figures for previous years on a comparable basis could be obtained only at disproportionate cost, but overall figures for the whole of England and Wales are given in Table 2.

TABLE 1

PROPORTION OF THOSE FOUND GUILTY, OR CAUTIONED, WHO WERE AGED UNDER 17: BY POLICE FORCE AREA, 1975

Police force area Percentage

England— … …

Avon and Somerset … … 8.9

Bedfordshire … … 11 .8

Cambridgeshire … … 9.7

Cheshire … … 9.3

Cleveland … … 15.8

Cumbria … … 12.2

Derbyshire … … 10.4

Devon and Cornwall … … 10.1

Dorset … … 10.1

Durham … … 15.8

Essex … … 12.2

Gloucestershire … … 10.3

Greater Manchester … … 11.3

632W

Hampshire … 9.3

Hertfordshire … 7.6

Humberside … 15.0

Kent … 7.5

Lancashire … 11.4

Leicestershire … 10.3

Lincolnshire … 11.6

London City … 2.2

Merseyside … 15.1

Metropolitan Police District … 7.1

Norfolk … 10.0

Northamptonshire … 9.7

Northumbria … 19.0

North Yorkshire … 10.6

Nottinghamshire … 13.4

South Yorkshire … 15.2

Staffordshire … 9.6

Suffolk … 10.5

Surrey … 9.6

Sussex … 7.5

Thames Valley … 9.4

Warwickshire … 10.0

West Mercia … 9.8

West Midlands … 11.2

West Yorkshire … 15.5

Wiltshire … 10.8

Wales—

Dyfed.Powys … 6.2

Gwent … 9.0

North Wales … 12.3

South Wales … 11.0

TABLE 2

PROPORTION OF THOSE FOUND GUILTY OR CAUTIONED WHO WERE AGED UNDER 17, 1970–75

England and Wales

Year Percentage

1970 … … … … … 10.0

1971 … … … … … 10.6

1972 … … … … … 10.2

1973 … … … … … 10.0

1974 … … … … … 11.1

1975 … … … … … 10.6

TABLE 1
PROPORTION OF THOSE FOUND GUILTY, OR CAUTIONED, WHO WERE AGED UNDER 17: BY POLICE FORCE AREA, 1975
Police force area	Percentage
England—	…	…
Avon and Somerset	…	…	8.9
Bedfordshire	…	…	11 .8
Cambridgeshire	…	…	9.7
Cheshire	…	…	9.3
Cleveland	…	…	15.8
Cumbria	…	…	12.2
Derbyshire	…	…	10.4
Devon and Cornwall	…	…	10.1
Dorset	…	…	10.1
Durham	…	…	15.8
Essex	…	…	12.2
Gloucestershire	…	…	10.3
Greater Manchester	…	…	11.3

Hampshire	…	9.3
Hertfordshire	…	7.6
Humberside	…	15.0
Kent	…	7.5
Lancashire	…	11.4
Leicestershire	…	10.3
Lincolnshire	…	11.6
London City	…	2.2
Merseyside	…	15.1
Metropolitan Police District	…	7.1
Norfolk	…	10.0
Northamptonshire	…	9.7
Northumbria	…	19.0
North Yorkshire	…	10.6
Nottinghamshire	…	13.4
South Yorkshire	…	15.2
Staffordshire	…	9.6
Suffolk	…	10.5
Surrey	…	9.6
Sussex	…	7.5
Thames Valley	…	9.4
Warwickshire	…	10.0
West Mercia	…	9.8
West Midlands	…	11.2
West Yorkshire	…	15.5
Wiltshire	…	10.8
Wales—
Dyfed.Powys	…	6.2
Gwent	…	9.0
North Wales	…	12.3
South Wales	…	11.0

TABLE 2
PROPORTION OF THOSE FOUND GUILTY OR CAUTIONED WHO WERE AGED UNDER 17, 1970–75
England and Wales
Year	Percentage
1970	…	…	…	…	…	10.0
1971	…	…	…	…	…	10.6
1972	…	…	…	…	…	10.2
1973	…	…	…	…	…	10.0
1974	…	…	…	…	…	11.1
1975	…	…	…	…	…	10.6