HC Deb 11 December 1990 vol 182 cc354-5W
Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many youngsters of 15 and 16 years of age have been held in Welsh prisons during the past year(a) on unruly behaviour certificates or (b) in other circumstances.

Mrs. Rumbold

Statistics on certificates of unruliness are not collected centrally. The readily available information is given in the table.

Males1 aged under 17 who were first received on remand or under sentence into prison service establishments in Wales2: by type of reception and age, 1989
Type of reception Aged 15 Aged 16
Unsentenced 27 39
Sentenced 3 11
1 Total receptions cannot be calculated by adding both categories because a person received as an unsentenced prisoner may also subsequently be received after sentence.
2 Usk YOI and Cardiff and Swansea prisons.

Mr. Maclennan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to end the practice of remanding 15 or 16-year-old boys to adult prisons pending trial or sentence.

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the policy of holding 15 and 16-year-olds in Welsh prisons on unruly behaviour certificates.

Mr. John Patten

I would refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave to questions from the hon. Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael) on 3 December at columns11–12.