§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many 15 and 16 year old females are on remand in(a) young offender units and (b) women's prisons in (i) London and (ii) the Home Counties. [28788]
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§ Ms QuinThe latest available information is for 31 December 1997. On that date, no females aged 15 or 16 years were held on remand in prisons in England and Wales.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the percentage of convictions of young offenders after admittance on remand to young offender units. [28786]
§ Mr. MichaelInformation on the sentencing of young offenders held in remand at young offender units is not collected centrally. Information is available on the sentencing of young offenders remanded in custody by the court, although the place of remand is not available.
Youths remanded in custody are usually remanded to local authority accommodation. Exceptionally, 15 or 16-year-old boys meeting certain conditions are remanded to a remand centre or prison. These conditions are:
that the defendant is charged with a violent or sexual offence on one punishable in the case of an adult with imprisonment for a term of 14 years or more; orthat the defendant has a history of absconding while remanded in local authority accommodation and is charged with or has been convicted of an imprisonable offence alleged or found or have been committed while he was so remanded; and—in either case, that the court considers that only a remand to a remand centre or prison would be adequate to protect the public from serious harm.In 1996, 70 per cent. of 15 or 16-year-old male defendants remanded in custody and charged with a violent or sexual offence (or one punishable in the case of an adult with imprisonment for a term of 14 years or more) were convicted. No information is available on either previous propensity to abscond or court deliberations.
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offender units have an in-take of males in the age range of 15 to 21 years in(a) London and (b) the Home Counties. [28787]
§ Ms QuinThere is one young offender institution (YOI) in London, Her Majesty's YOI Feltham. This is the only YOI in London and the home counties which takes 15 and 16-year-old male offenders. In the home counties, there are seven YOIs. These are listed in the table with their age intake.
At age 21, male offenders are deemed to be adults and on conviction will be sent to an adult prison.
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Young Offender Institutions in London and the Home Counties YOI Area Age intake Feltham London 15–20 Aylesbury Buckinghamshire 18–20 Chelmsford Essex 17–20 Colchester1 Essex 18–20 Dover Kent 18–20 Reading Berkshire 17–20 Rochester Kent 17–20 Woodhill Buckinghamshire 17–20
§ Dr. CableTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many 15 and 16 year old males were admitted on remand to young offender units in(a) London and (b) the Home Counties in each of the last five years; [28791]
(2) how many 15 and 16 year old males were admitted on remand to young offender units in the last quarter for which figures are available in (a) London and (b) the Home Counties. [28790]
§ Ms QuinThe information requested is given in the table.
Initial receptions of 15 and 16 year old males on remand intoYoung Offender Institutions in London and the Home Counties1992–1997 Year London All remand1 Home Counties 1992 230 4 1993 280 — 1994 350 2 1995 450 2 1996 530 — October-December 19972 130 — 1 The figures for "all remand" record once only a person received as an untried prisoner who is subsequently received also as a convicted unsentenced prisoner 2 Provisional figures.