HC Deb 14 February 1980 vol 978 cc728-9W
Mr. Wrigglesworth

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total number of indictable offences committed by children and young people with air weapons in each of the last 10 years in the following age categories (a) under 14 years, (b) under 16 years, (c) under 17 years, (d) under 18 years and (e) under 21 years.

Mr. Brittan

The information available is given in the following table; corresponding information is not available for earlier years. For many offences the age of the principal suspect is not known.

Mr. Brittan

I understand that in April 1976 the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England requested that assistant commissioners be appointed to inquire into, and report to the commission upon, representations which have been or may be made to the commission about their provisional recommendations. I understand also that as a result of that request, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Weisman, Mr. Walton, Mr. Wybrants, Mr. Cassel, Mr. Sunnucks and others were appointed in October 1976 to serve as assistant commissioners until 31 December 1978 and that their appointments were subsequently extended until 31 December 1981.

Dr. Edmund Marshall

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any assistant commissioner appointed by him at the request of the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England has any authority to act in that capacity at a time when the number of members of the commission itself is less than the statutory quorum.

Mr. Brittan

Yes. An assistant commissioner may, during the term of his appointment, inquire into, and report to the commission upon, those matters in respect of which he was appointed, notwithstanding that the commission itself cannot act on any such report until it has the statutory quorum.

Dr. Edmund Marshall

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what dates the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England caused local public inquiries to be held in respect of the commission's recommendations for the London boroughs of Barking, Hackney, Sutton, Lewisham, Islington and Wandsworth.

Mr. Brittan

I understand that the Parliamentary Boundary Commission for England decided at its meetings on 5 October and 30 November 1979 that local inquiries should be held into its provisional recommendations for constituencies in the London boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Hackney, Sutton, Lewisham, Islington and Wandsworth.