HC Deb 18 December 1996 vol 287 cc716-22W
Mr. Alex Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 15-year-olds were being held in each young offender institution and remand centre, on the latest date for which figures are available; what percentage were held on (i) remand and (ii) under sentence; and if he will make a statement. [9124]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 17 December 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 18 December 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many 15 year olds were being held in each young offender institution and remand centre, on the latest date for which figures are available and what percentage were held on remand and under sentence. The information requested for 31 October 1996 is shown in the attached table. 31 per cent. of the 15 year olds were on remand, with 69 per cent held under sentence.

15 year olds held in prison in England and Wales on 31 October 1996 by establishment
Establishment Remand Sentenced
Aylesbury 2
Brinsford 14 5
Bullwood Hall 2
Cardiff 2
Deerbolt 1 20
Doncaster 7 4
Exeter 1
Feltham 16 42
Glen Parva 20 3
Hindley 1 6
Hollesley Bay 1
Hull 4
Huntercombe 1
Lancaster Farms 2
Low Newton 9 2
Moorland 1
New Hall 1
Northallerton 3
Onley 16
Portland 14
Stoke Heath 15
Styal 2

15 year olds held in prison in England and Wales on 31 October 1996 by establishment
Establishment Remand Sentenced
Swansea 1
Thorn Cross 4
Weatherby 11
Warrington 17
Total 78 172

Mr. Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales were holding girl's aged(a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 years old on the latest date for which figures are available broken down by institution and age; and if he will make a statement. [9084]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 17 December 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 18 December 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, which prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales were holding girls aged 16, 17 and 18 years of age. The information requested for 31 October 1996 is given in the attached table.

Institution Aged 16 Aged 17 Aged 18
Askham Grange 2 5
Brockhill 1 2
Bullwood Hall 5 6 10
Drake Hall 2 3 9
East Sutton Park 1
Holloway 2 9 7
Low Newton 3 2
Newhall 1 7 18
Risky 4 8
Styal 3 9 9
Total 13 44 71

Mr. Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women aged(a) 16, (b) 17 and (c) 18 years were received into Prison Service custody in each year from 1990 and in 1996 to date; and if he will make a statement. [9085]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 17 December 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 18 December 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about how many women aged 16, 17 and 18 years were received into Prison Service custody in each year from 1990 and in 1996 to date. The available information is published in successive volumes of "Prison statistics, England and Wales". Table 3.10 of the 1995 edition, Cm 3355 and tables 3.9 for years 1992 and 1993. Information for years 1990 and 1991 only relates to sentenced inmates. Copies of these publications are available in the library. Provisional information for 1996 is given in the attached table.

Receptions of females aged 16, 17 and 18 years into prisons in England and Wales, January to October 19961 2
Age
Custody type 16 17 18
Untried 2 124 133
Convicted unsentenced 4 58 73
Sentenced 52 83 124
1 Provisional figures.
2 Total receptions cannot be calculated by adding together receptions in each category because there is double counting.

Mr. Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juvenile offenders were imprisoned in each of the last five years; and what was the average length of juvenile sentence for each year; and if he will make a statement. [9090]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 17 December 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 18 December 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about juvenile offenders. The information requested is given in Tables 3.1 and 3.16 of the annual publication 'Prison statistics England and Wales'; the latest edition for 1995 has the reference CM3355. A copy of this publication is available in the Library. The information for prisoners aged under 18 is set out in the attached table.

Sentenced receptions Prisoners aged under 18
Males Females
Year Number Average sentence length (months) Number Average sentence length (months)
1991 3,621 6.5 97 7.5
1992 3,344 9.2 79 8.1
1993 3,564 8.6 102 6.9
1994 3,971 8.5 149 8.2
1995 4,505 9.6 166 10.0

Includes some 14 year olds until 1992.

Mr. Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates of young offender institutions have(a) committed suicide, (b) attempted suicide and (c) been victims of violence, in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [9093]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 17 December 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 18 December 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about incidents involving young offenders. The information on self inflicted deaths, attempted suicides and assaults is given in the attached table. Information held centrally on assaults relates to the number of adjudications where an inmate has been found guilty of an assault upon another inmate.

Incidents occurring in young offender institutions: 1991–1996
Self inflicted deaths Attempted suicide Assaults (proved at adjudication)
1991 4 111 642
1992 5 119 691
1993 2 123 651
1994 7 102 711
1995 5 87 801
1996 (to 13 December 1996) 3 108 879

Mr. Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young men aged under 21 years have committed suicide or attempted suicide while awaiting trail on remand in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [9094]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 17 December 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 18 December 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question about young men under the age of 21 on remand who have committed or attempted suicide in the last ten years. The information routinely collected from establishments about attempted suicides is not categorised by age and status of the prisoner and the details requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Further work is planned which will improve the level of detail available in coming years. The attached table lists the numbers of self-inflicted deaths amongst men under 21 during the last ten years whilst awaiting trail on remand.

Year Number of self inflicted deaths
1987 4
1988 9
1989 11
1990 10
1991 5
1992 6
1993 3
1994 10
1995 9
1996 (to 13 December 1996) 6

Mr. Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people under the age of 21 years were in prison or other custody in(a) London and (b) England and Wales on 1 November in each of the last 17 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [9097]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 17 December 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 18 December 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question asking, how many young people under the age of 21 years were in prison or other custody in (a) London and (b) England and Wales on 1 November in each of the last 17 years for which figures are available. The information for persons under the age of 21 held in Prison Service establishments, including all young offender institutions is given in the attached table.

Population of persons aged under 21 years1 in prisons in London and England and Wales on 31 October 1980 to 1996.
On 31 October London prisons England and Wales Total prison population aged under 21
1980 405 11,140 11,545
1981 233 12,956 13,189
1982 225 12,872 13,097
1983 263 12,527 12,790
1984 291 12,054 12,345
1985 246 12,426 12,672
1986 351 12,039 12,390
1987 458 11,334 11,792
1988 932 10,091 11,023
1989 788 9,374 10,162
1990 903 8,134 9,037
1991 865 7,862 8,727
1992 680 6,782 7,462
1993 837 7,590 8,427
1994 887 7,594 8,481
1995 911 7,876 8,787
1996 977 9,384 10,361
1 Includes some young offenders aged 21 years.

Mr. Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people aged between 10 and 17 years were sent to adult prisons or remand centres to await trial in(a) London and (b) England and Wales during each of the past 17 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [9098]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 17 December 1996]: Responsibility for this matter has been delegated to the Director General of the Prison Service, who has been asked to arrange for a reply to be given.

Letter from Richard Tilt to Mr. Alex Carlile, dated 18 December 1996: The Home Secretary has asked me to reply to your recent Question, asking, how many young people aged between 10 and 17 years were sent to adult prisons or remand centres to await trial in (a) London and (b) England and Wales during each of the last 17 years for which figures are available. The available information on the number of untried prisoners aged between 14 and 17 years is given in the attached table.

Receptions of untried prisoners aged under 18 years into Prison Service establishments in London and England and Wales, 1992 to 1996
Year London prisons England and Wales
Adult prisons and remand centres
1992 775 3,699
1993 740 4,049
1994 842 4,353
1995 933 4,413
January to October 19961 836 4,059
1 Provisional figures.

Mr. Carlile

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what were reoffending rates for young people leaving custody in each of the last 17 years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [9099]

Miss Widdecombe

[holding answer 17 December 1996]: The available information relates to reconviction rates within two years for standard list offences and is given in the table.

Reconviction rates are affected by differences in the age, sex, previous convictions and other characteristics of offenders receiving the sentences, as described in Home Office research study No. 136, "Explaining reconviction rates: a critical analysis".

The rates prior to 1984 discharges have been derived from information contained in "Prison Statistics England and Wales, 1986", Cm 210. The information from 1984 onwards on rates for male young offenders is contained in "Prison Statistics, England and Wales, 1994", Cm 3087.

Percentage of sentenced young offenders discharged from custody who are reconvicted within two years of discharge by year of discharge
Males Females Total
19761 67 49 67
19771 69 48 68
19781 65 54 65
19791 66 47 65
1980 69 45 68
1981 66 46 66
1982 68 47 67
1983 67 44 67
1984 65 42 65
1985 64 44 64
1986 63 46 62
19872 72 52 71
19882 70 55 70
19892 71 57 71
19902 72 59 72
19912 72 52 72

Police officer and civilian strength 1992 to 1996
Force 31 October 19921 31 October 19931 31 October 19941 30 September 19951 30 September 19961
Police Civilians Police Civilians Police Civilians Police Civilians Police Civilians
Avon and Somerset 3,068 1,254 3,048 1,338 3,025 1,325 2,986 1,294 3,004 1,315
Bedfordshire 1,129 420 1,157 439 1,123 477 1,116 519 1,118 528
Cambridgeshire 1,262 491 1,278 488 1,270 488 1,254 546 1,253 597
Cheshire 1,888 581 1,858 615 1,913 641 1,951 730 2,016 791
City of London 801 378 878 384 889 332 869 338 868 335
Cleveland 1,490 491 1,430 521 1,442 525 1,430 575 1,444 623
Cumbria 1,192 446 1,205 459 1,179 484 1,144 462 1,124 457
Derbyshire 1,803 635 1,786 657 1,803 670 1,762 751 1,795 737
Devon and Cornwall 2,918 1,182 2,917 1,213 2,885 1,224 2,872 1,237 2,876 1,283
Dorset 1,317 630 1,302 625 1,287 665 1,272 671 1,262 678
Durham 1,390 563 1,379 560 1,357 508 1,377 526 1,426 563
Dyfed Powys 966 287 968 304 980 311 977 335 998 354
Essex 2,963 1,200 2,964 1,279 2,909 1,329 2,897 1,270 2,927 1,400
Gloucestershire 1,154 411 1,144 420 1,171 425 1,142 464 1,139 460
Greater Manchester 7,084 2,693 7,075 2,815 6,980 2,880 7,026 2,904 6,961 2,922
Gwent 1,008 346 996 350 1,004 350 1,006 380 1,231 497
Hampshire 3,269 1,169 3,272 1,212 3,259 1,317 3,307 1,409 3,362 1,429
Hertfordshire 1,690 665 1,693 669 1,691 699 1,704 921 1,721 863
Humberside 2,027 760 2,029 733 2,038 708 2,025 670 2,042 772
Kent 3,099 1,230 3,183 1,228 3,137 1,181 3,100 1,290 3,227 1,332
Lancashire 3,203 1,190 3,149 1,164 3,196 1,243 3,195 1,419 3,203 1,320
Leicestershire 1,846 758 1,829 724 1,835 755 1,860 747 1,933 776
Lincolnshire 1,188 509 1,212 516 1,214 528 1,164 452 1,157 513
Merseyside 4,687 1,757 4,690 1,781 4,688 1,773 4,536 1,797 4,271 1,825
Metropolitan 27,804 16,205 27,695 16.324 27.627 15.767 27.395 16.762 27.049 15,353
Norfolk 1,419 499 1,437 531 1,419 548 1,392 553 1,399 616
Northamptonshire 1,197 467 1,190 518 1,171 500 1,161 492 1,186 583
Northumbria 3,578 1,381 3,595 1,330 3,593 1,397 3,611 1,402 3,693 1,332
North Wales 1,369 491 1,359 507 1,369 484 1,352 472 1,381 554
North Yorkshire 1,411 483 1,349 464 1,323 522 1,311 537 1,334 623
Nottinghamshire 2,343 802 2,360 871 2,345 934 2,314 1,022 2,339 1,058

Percentage of sentenced young offenders discharged from custody who are reconvicted within two years of discharge by year of discharge
Males Females Total
19922 72 51 71
1 Rates for those discharged from custody only relate to those released from Detention Centres or Borstal Training.
2 Figures for 1987 and after are not directly comparable with those for earlier years due to a change in methodology. If the old methodology had been followed it is estimated that the reconviction rates would be about 7 to 8 percentage points lower for the males and 5 to 6 percentage points for the females. This change is described in paragraphs 21 and 22 on page 6 of Prison Statistics, England and Wales, 1994 (Cm 3087).