§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Government policy on making parents fully responsible for the behaviour of and crimes committed by their children.
§ Mr. John PattenIn the Criminal Justice Act 1991 the Government have put more responsibility on the parents of young offenders to look after their children properly. The 1991 Act strengthens courts' powers to require parents to attend court with their children, to pay their children's fines and to bind over the parents of convicted juvenile offenders. These provisions will come into force in October 1992.
§ Mr. AmosTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Home Office guidelines regarding the number of cautions which the police have to give to juveniles before criminal proceedings can be taken against juvenile offenders.
§ Mr. Peter LloydThe decision to caution is a matter for the discretion of the police and it is not for the Home Secretary to specify how many cautions can be given to any offender.