§ Mr. George Cunninghamasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been brought in respect of offences under the Protection of Children Act 1978.
§ Mr. BrittanThe Protection of Children Act came into force on 20 August 1978 and the Department's records of court proceedings in 1978 contain no prosecutions completed by 31 December; corresponding information for 1979 is not yet available. I understand, however, that to date the Director of Public Prosecutions has recorded having completed six prosecutions under the Act; and that he has given his consent to prosecution in other cases but the number of such prosecutions undertaken by the police cannot be readily ascertained.