§ Mr. McCrindleasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will estimate the savings in resources of the existing distinction between imprisonment, borstal and detention centres were to be abolished and a generic sentencing policy adopted for young offenders; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will estimate the resources required to provide supervision on release 260W if a new generic sentence were adopted; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesThere is nothing I can add at this stage to what is said in "Youth Custody and Supervision: A New Sentence" about the Government's intention to implement proposals for a generic sentence within existing resources. Until the comments on this document have been received and considered it is not possible to make any precise estimates of the appropriate allocation of resources.