§ Mr. HardyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what response he is making to the recommendations in the NSPCC report into "Joint Enterprise and Parents", relating to(a) seeking separate trials in such cases, (b) reviewing the guidelines on what constitutes neglect or cruelty for the purposes of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933, (c) making admissible evidence of behaviour of one parent against a child and (d) clarifying the extent to which a trial judge may comment on a defendant's choice not to give evidence.
§ Mr. JackThe principal recipient of the NSPCC report into "Joint Enterprise and Parents" was the Royal Commission on Criminal Justice, which is expected to report in the summer. The Government will very carefully consider any proposals the commission may make that have a bearing on the issues raised in this question. A copy of the report was also sent by the director of the NSPCC to my right hon. and learned Friend, who in his reply offered the view that the report provided a useful analysis of actual cases while clearly demonstrating that there were no easy answers to the problems identified.