§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many boys aged between 14 and 16 years were in local prisons at the latest available date; where they were located; and how long each had been imprisoned;
(2) how many untried boys aged from 14 to 16 years have been in local prisons since May 1976; and what, in each case, were the exceptional circumstances that justified this;
(3) how many boys aged from 14 to 16 years have been in local prisons since May 1976;
(4) how many boys aged between 14 and 16 years have been in remand centres since May 1976; and how many were in such institutions at the latest available date;
(5) how many girls aged between 14 and 16 years have been in (a) remand centres and (b) local prisons since May 1976;
146W(6) how many girls aged between 14 and 16 years were in (a) remand centres and (b) local prisons at the latest available date; and how long each of these had been in local prisons;
(7) how many girls aged 14 years have been in local prisons since May 1976;
(8) how many girls aged 14 years have been remanded to remand centres since May 1976.
§ Mr. JohnThe information requested is set out in the following three tables. The latest date for which information is readily available is 30th September 1976.
TABLE A—NUMBER OF RECEPTIONS OF PERSONS AGED 14–16 INTO LOCAL PRISONS AND REMAND CENTRES BETWEEN 1ST MAY 1976 AND 30TH SEPTEMBER 1976 Males aged 14–16
Females 14–16
Females 14 Local prisons 324 74 4 Remand centres 1,981 67 7
TABLE B—POPULATION OF PERSONS AGED 14–16 IN LOCAL PRISONS AND REMAND CENTRES ON 30TH SEPTEMBER 1976 Establishment Males 14–16 Females 14–16 Local prisons: Birmingham 8 NA Canterbury 4 NA Leeds 5 NA Leicester 1 NA Lincoln 2 NA Oxford 2 NA Holloway NA 9 Total 22 9 Remand centres 359 12
TABLE C—PERSONS AGED 14–16 IN LOCAL PRISONS ON 30TH SEPTEMBER 1976—BY TIME IN CUSTODY BETWEEN DATE OF INITIAL RECEPTION AND 30TH SEPTEMBER 1976 Time in custody Males 14–16 years Females 14–16 years Up to and including 2 weeks 15 4 Over 2 weeks and including 1 month 2 — Over 1 month and including 2 months 1 3 Over 2 months and including 3 months — — Over 3 months and including 6 months 2 1 Over 6 months 2 1 Total 22 9 NA = Not applicable. Of the 324 receptions in Table A, 42 were of boys awaiting trial. 21 of these were subsequently transferred to remand 147W centres in accordance with the arrangements described in paragraph 14 of Cmnd. 6494. The remainder were not so transferred for reasons of the kind summarised at the end of that paragraph.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will explain the meaning of the phrase "almost immediately" as used in paragraph 5 of Command Paper No. 6494;
(2) how many girls aged 14 years were (a) in remand centres and (b) in local prisons at the latest available date; how long each of the latter had been in prison; and if he is satisfied with progress in respect of the commitment given in Command Paper No. 6494 that such remands would cease in the current year.
§ Mr. JohnOn 30th September 1976, the latest date for which information is readily available, one girl aged 14 was being held in a remand centre. There were no girls of this age in local prisons on this date.
As is explained in paragraph 17 of the White Paper, it was intended to end the remand of 14-year-old girls to Prison Department establishments as early as possible this year. Consultations between my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services and local authorities and others concerned have taken longer than expected and the matter is still under consideration.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on devising procedures to limit applications for unruly certificates.