Young Persons (Custodial Sentences) (Hansard, 30 October 1979)

§ Mr. Kilroy-Silk
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many males and females under 17 years of age, and aged 17 and under 21 years, were respectively, sentenced to (a) borstals, (b) prison sentences of six months or less, and (c) prison sentences of three years or more in each of the past three years.

§ Mr. Brittan
Information on the number of persons in these age groups sentenced to borstal training, immediate imprisonment, or suspended imprisonment is published annually in "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales"—tables 1(c), 1(d), 5(c) and 5(d)—of the volume for 1978—Cmnd. 7670. Information on the number of persons aged 17 and under 21 given in the specified sentences of imprisonment is given in the following

BORSTAL TRAINEES UNDER THE AGE OF 17 IN LOCAL PRISONS^* ON 31 AUGUST 1979: BY AGE AND TIME IN CUSTODY IN A LOCAL PRISON SINCE DATE OF SENTENCE

Number of persons

Time in custody in local prisons

Local prisons Males Females Up to and including 1 month Over 1 month up to and including 2 months

Birmingham

Age 16 3 — 3 —

Leeds

Age 15 1 — 1 —

Age 16 11 — 10 1

Lincoln

Age 16 2 — 2 —

Liverpool

Age 16 1 — 1 —

Total 18 — 17 1

^* Holloway prison has been excluded as it contains special accommodation where borstal trainees can serve the whole of their sentence.

§ Mr. Kilroy-Silk
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 14 to 16-year-old (a) boys and (b) girls were in borstal at the latest available date.

§ Mr. Brittan
On 31 August 1979, 817 boys and 27 girls aged 14 to 16 were serving sentences in borstals in England and Wales.
458W
table; persons aged under 17 cannot be sentenced to imprisonment.

PERSONS AGED 17 AND UNDER 21 SENTENCED TO CERTAIN LENGTHS OF IMPRISONMENT IN ALL COURTS

England and Wales 1976–78 Number of persons

Immediate Suspended^*

Up to and including 6 months 3 years and over Up to and including 6 months

Males:

1976 2,699 738 4,062

1977 3,394 656 4,288

1978 3,920 734 4,718

Females:

1976 203 12 477

1977 219 12 572

1978 268 18 658

^* The maximum length of suspended sentence is two years.

§ Mr. Kilroy-Silk
asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) boys and (b) girls sentenced to borstal training were in local prisons at the latest available date; at which prisons they were located; what their ages were; and how long they have been in prison.

§ Mr. Brittan
The information requested is shown in the table below:

BORSTAL TRAINEES UNDER THE AGE OF 17 IN LOCAL PRISONS^* ON 31 AUGUST 1979: BY AGE AND TIME IN CUSTODY IN A LOCAL PRISON SINCE DATE OF SENTENCE
Number of persons
Time in custody in local prisons
Local prisons	Males	Females	Up to and including 1 month	Over 1 month up to and including 2 months
Birmingham
Age 16	3	—	3	—
Leeds
Age 15	1	—	1	—
Age 16	11	—	10	1
Lincoln
Age 16	2	—	2	—
Liverpool
Age 16	1	—	1	—
Total	18	—	17	1
^* Holloway prison has been excluded as it contains special accommodation where borstal trainees can serve the whole of their sentence.

PERSONS AGED 17 AND UNDER 21 SENTENCED TO CERTAIN LENGTHS OF IMPRISONMENT IN ALL COURTS
England and Wales 1976–78	Number of persons
	Immediate	Suspended^*
	Up to and including 6 months	3 years and over	Up to and including 6 months
Males:
1976	2,699	738	4,062
1977	3,394	656	4,288
1978	3,920	734	4,718
Females:
1976	203	12	477
1977	219	12	572
1978	268	18	658
^* The maximum length of suspended sentence is two years.