HC Deb 15 February 1977 vol 926 c138W
Mr. Sims

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many girls under the age of 15 years were accommodated in prison establishments following the issue of a certificate of unruliness in each of the years 1971 to 1976 inclusive.

Mr. John

A girl aged 14–16 who is awaiting trial may be remanded in custody to a prison or remand centre in England and Wales only if a court certifies that she is so unruly that she cannot safely be committed to the care of a local authority. The following table shows the number of 14 year old girls who, in the years 1972–76, were initially remanded to a prison or remand centre to await trial:

Year Number of receptions Number of individuals
1971 16 Not known
1972 9 8
1973 16 15
1974 30 27
1975 14 13
1976 28* 28*
* Provisional.
In addition, girls aged 14–16 who have been convicted and are awaiting sentence may be received into custody in a prison or remand centre if they have been committed to the Crown Court with a view to a sentence of borstal training or if they are made the subject of an unruly certificate. I regret that the available information does not distinguish between the numbers in these two groups of persons awaiting sentence.