HC Deb 20 November 1991 vol 199 cc167-9W
Dr. Godman

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will state(a) the number of children detained in relation to section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 in each of the past 15 years, (b) the average length of detention or imprisonment undertaken by such offenders, (c) how many have been released under licence and (d) in how many cases licences were revoked; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs. Angela Rumbold

[holding answer 13 November 1991]: The readily available information on the number of persons sentenced in England and Wales to detention under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 is given in table 1. The lengths of sentence imposed on those sentenced under section 53(2) are shown in table 2.

Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Information about the number of juveniles received into and detained in prison service establishments under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 are published annually in "Prison Statistics England and Wales", tables 3.2 and 3.13 of the volume for 1989, Cm 1221, copies of which are in the Library.

The numbers of prisoners released from prison service establishments in England and Wales on licence from

Table 2
Persons sentenced under Section 53(2) Children and Young Persons Act 1933 by length of sentence, 1984–1989
England and Wales Number of persons
Length of sentence 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1 1989
Up to 4 months 1 1
Over 4 months and up to 6 months 1 1 1
Over 6 months and up to 1 year 1 1 2 6 4 3
Over 1 year and up to 18 months 6 9 9 3 4 1
Over 18 months and up to 2 years 23 39 30 36 32 20
Over 2 years and up to 3 years 39 70 71 59 88 66
Over 3 years and up to 4 years 17 20 21 23 25 10
Over 4 years and up to 5 years 5 10 13 14 12 9
Over 5 years and up to 7 years 4 3 3 7 8 1
Over 7 years and up to 10 years 1 1 2 2 2
Over 10 years, excluding life 1 1
Life 2 1 3 2 1 4
Total 99 154 156 154 177 115
1Comparisons with prison receptions data suggests that there may have been under recording in 1989.

Table 3
Prisoners released on licence from Prison Service establishments in England and Wales from detention during Her Majesty's pleasure or for life under Section 53, Children and Young Persons Act 1933: by year of release and average time served, 1976–90
Year Number Time served1 (years)
1976 8 7.4
1977 3 9.1
1978 8 7.7
1979 4 7.5

detention during Her Majesty's pleasure under section 53(1) or for life under section 53(2), showing the average times served, are given in table 3.

The majority of prisoners discharged from determinate detention under section 53(2) are released on licence before the end of sentence. In 1987, of the 140 detainees released from prison service establishments, about 90 were released on licence; in 1988 the figures were 120 and 100.

The numbers recalled in 1990 from licence after determinate sentences under the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 are published in table 5 of the Parole Board's annual report for 1990 (HC 481), a copy of which is in the Library.

Table 1
Persons sentenced under Section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933: 1975–89 England and Wales
Number of persons
Section 53(1) Section 53(2) Total
1975 6 45 51
1976 7 51 58
1977 10 59 69
1978 9 81 90
1979 26 54 80
1980 19 64 83
1981 16 71 87
1982 31 81 112
1983 16 69 85
1984 22 99 121
1985 18 154 172
1986 16 156 172
1987 19 154 173
1988 22 177 199
1 1989 15 115 130
1 Comparisons with prison receptions data suggests there may have been under recording in 1989.

Year Number Time served1 (years)
1980 5 8.8
1981 6 8.6
1982 6 8.4
1983 9 8.4
1984 4 7.4
1985 8 8.5
1986 9 9.1
Year Number Time served1 (years)
1987 11 11.9
1988 2 9.8
1989 7 10.2
21990 6 13.1
1 Excluding any time spent on remand in custody, in non-Prison Service establishments or following any subsequent recall.
2 Provisional Figures.

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