§ 20. Mr. ClellandTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of young offenders are not engaged in work, training or education. [6167]
§ Mr. MacleanA survey at 10 police stations in 1993–94 showed that 47 per cent. of those under 21 years charged or cautioned were not engaged in work, training or education.
§ 23. Mr. David NicholsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has to reform the criminal justice system in respect of the treatment of young offenders. [6171]
§ Mr. MacleanThe Government have introduced a number of measures to improve the criminal justice system in respect of the treatment of young offenders. We have tightened up the criteria for cautioning and introduced new standards for the supervision of young offenders in the community. The Crime (Sentences) Bill provides for the extension of electronic monitoring of curfew orders to 10 to 15-year-olds. In addition. the Government intend to publish a Green Paper on preventing children and young people most at risk of offending from becoming involved in crime.
§ 26. Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each of the last three years the number of cases where the police have asked for charges to be brought against young offenders; and what percentage of such cases have resulted in a court conviction. [6174]
§ Mr. MacleanStatistics on police charges are not available centrally. Information based on court proceedings data is given in the table.
Prosecutions of offenders aged 10 to 20 at magistrates courts and convictions at all courts, 1993 to 1995 England and Wales, Indictable offences Prosecutions at magistrates courts1 Convictions at all courts Percentage 1993 149,100 80,900 67 1994 155,600 83,600 62 1995 150,000 81,600 63 1Includes the youth court.
§ 29. Mr. CongdonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that the public are protected from persistent young offenders. [6177]
§ Mr. MacleanThe Government have introduced a number of measures to ensure that the public are protected from persistent young offenders. We have strengthened the courts' powers for dealing with such offenders by increasing the maximum sentence for youth custody for 15 to 17-year-olds, by introducing long periods of 747W detention for 10 to 13-year-olds for serious offences and by providing for a new sentence for persistent 12 to 14-year-old offenders.
The Crime (Sentences) Bill extends the electronic monitoring of curfew orders to 10 to 15-year-olds and gives youth courts the discretion to allow the identification of juveniles convicted of an offence.
The Government intend to publish a Green Paper on preventing children and young people most at risk of offending from becoming involved in crime.
§ Mr. Harry GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of juvenile courts in deterring youth criminality. [6333]
§ Mr. MacleanIt is not the youth court itself that is intended to deter offending, but the sentences that the court passes on those whom it has found guilty. The Government collect data on re-conviction rates for sentences imposed on juvenile offenders aged 14 to 16 years. The latest available figures are for 1991 and are provided in the table.
Table 1: Reconviction rates within two years, based on the 1991 sentencing sample by age at sentence Age at sentence Reconviction rate Number sampled Aged 14 to 16 Absolute discharge [83] [6] Conditional discharge 58 571 Fine 59 220 Supervisor order 80 275 Community service order 76 50 Attendance centre order 70 224 Care order [80] [5] Otherwise dealt with 53 32