§ Mr. Gareth Wardellasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish in the Official Report for each county in Scotland (a) the number of secure units for juveniles on remand, (b) the average length of stay in such units, (c) the number of juveniles aged 15 and 16 years who have been remanded to adult prisons during the last complete year that figures are available and (d) the average length of time that juveniles aged 15 and 16 years on remand spend in adult prisons.
§ Mr. AncramThe information requested is as follows:
- (a) There are no secure units in Scotland specifically for juveniles on remand, but courts may place such children in social work and other non-penal establishments if they consider it appropriate. Six regions have secure accommodation for children requiring this special type of care.
- (b) Comprehensive information on individual lengths of stay of children placed in approved secure accommodation following appearance in court is not held centrally.
- (c) In Scotland, 16-year-olds are normally remanded to penal establishments and no separate figures are available. The number of juveniles aged 15 and under remanded to penal establishments in 1983 was 137. Of that number, 114 were remanded to Longriggend remand institution, an establishment which holds youths remanded from courts for examination and to await trial, and 23 were remanded to adult prisons.
- (d) The average period on remand is approximately four weeks.