§ Mr. Sproatasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will now reconsider his previous decision not to 98W provide for the imposition of fines in certain circumstances on the parents of children brought before children's hearings in circumstances where the hearing decided that the child committed the offence for which he or she has appeared before the hearing; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. YoungerThe consultative memorandum on the powers and procedures of children's hearings, our decisions on which I outlined to the House in a written answer on 19 May—[Vol. 5, c.46–48]—made no proposal for the fining of parents of children brought before hearings on offence grounds. Comments were, however, invited on two other possibilities, namely, that hearings might be able to fine children themselves, and that provision might be made for parents of children referred to hearings for offences to be required to find caution for their children's future good behaviour. As I explained in my statement, the substantial weight of opinion among those who commented on the memorandum was against introducing either of these changes, and I therefore proposed to take no further action on them. Having regard to the recent thorough review of the children's hearings system, I see no reason to reconsider my decision on either of these issues.