§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juveniles were received into custody before trial or sentence in 1981; of these how many were found not guilty, how many received non-custodial sentences and how many received custodial sentences.
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§ Mr. MayhewThe information requested for 1981 is not yet available. The latest available information is published in table 2.2 of "Prison statistics, England and Wales 1980" (Cmnd. 8372).
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average time spent in custody by juveniles remanded to (a) prisons and (b) remand centres in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. MayhewEstimates of the average time spent custody by juveniles on remand could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The only information readily available is given in the following table.
Untried and convicted unsentenced juveniles aged 15–16 in prisons and remand centres in England and Wales on 31 December 1981: by time since initial remand in custody and type of establishment Length of time since initial remand in custody* Prisons Remand centres Under 1 month 13 81 1 month but less than 2 months 9 45 2 months but less than 4 months 7 14 4 months but less than 8 months 3 6 Total 32 146 * Including any time which may have been spent on bail after a first remand in custody.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the longest time spent in custody by juveniles remanded to (a) a prison and (b) a remand centre in the latest year for which figures are available.
§ Mr. MayhewInformation in the form requested is not readily available. The longest period since initial remand for a juvenile held on remand in custody in England and Wales on 31 December 1981 was(a) 233 days for juveniles in prison and (b) 189 days for juveniles in remand centres. In each case some of this time may have been spent on bail.
§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juveniles are currently being held in adult prisons; in which prisons they are held; and how many are held in each of these prisons.
§ Mr. MayhewThe latest readily available information is given in the following table:
Juveniles aged 15–16 in adult prisons in England and Wales on 31 December 1981 by establishment Prison Number Birmingham 2 Canterbury 1 Durham 3 Gloucester 1 Holloway 2 Leeds 8 Leicester 1 Lincoln 1 Manchester 31 Shrewsbury 2 TOTAL 52
§ Mr. Arthur Lewisasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, in view of the growing 11W practice of robbers, burglars, bank raiders and so on carrying sawn-off shotguns, he will now seek to make it a specific criminal offence for any person to have in their possession, or on their person, or premises, a sawn-off shotgun, as such can be used only for nefarious purposes.
§ Mr. MayhewUnder the Firearms Act 1968 it is an offence to possess, purchase or acquire a firearm without a valid firearm certificate. The offence is aggravated if the firearm concerned is a shotgun whose barrel has been shortened to a length less than 24 inches, and such an offence carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment. The same penalty can be incurred by anyone convicted of the offence of shortening a shotgun barrel contrary to the Act. Moreover, possession of a firearm with criminal intent carries a maximum penalty of 14 years' imprisonment, and carrying a firearm with intent to resist arrest or injure carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. I am satisfied that these provisions are adequate.