Young Offenders (Hansard, 25 April 2002)

§ 38. Simon Hughes
To ask the Solicitor-General how many young people under 17 appeared before the courts in relation to more than three different matters in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [50385]
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§ Solicitor-General
The Crown Prosecution Service does not hold this information centrally. However, what I can say is that in relation to persistent young offenders annual figures for 2001 show that the pledge, to halve the time from arrest to sentence, was met, including the last three consecutive months. In 1997 it took 142 days from arrest to sentence. Overall, over the last 12 months the figures went from 91 days arrest to sentence down to 67 days.

§ 41. Vernon Coaker
To ask the Solicitor-General what assessment she has made of the number of young offenders who offended while on bail over the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [50388]

§ Solicitor-General
My hon. Friend will know that the Home Secretary is working with the police to ensure that young offenders do not commit further offences while on bail. The information that he requests is not available in the form he asks for.

§ 42. Dr. Murrison
To ask the Solicitor-General what her policy is on the prosecution of young offenders for car-related crimes. [50389]

§ Solicitor-General
The principal aim of the youth justice system is to prevent offending by children and young people. The Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for most youth prosecutions in England and Wales and prosecutes all youth cases according to the aim and principles set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors.
A youth will be prosecuted if a Crown Prosecutor is satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and that the public interest requires a prosecution, irrespective of the type of offence that has been committed. Crown Prosecutors must consider the interests of a child or young person when deciding whether the public interest requires a prosecution but should not avoid prosecuting simply on the basis of the age of the offender. The seriousness and prevalence of the offence and the youth's past behaviour are recognised factors in favour of prosecution.
Youths who admit an offence and have not previously been convicted of an offence will usually not be prosecuted but will be reprimanded or warned by the police. This system of reprimands and final warnings was introduced by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and is designed to stop offending at an early stage and enables a young person to take part in a rehabilitation programme. The police have issued a matrix of "gravity factors" which is used to assess the appropriate action to be taken with reference to the seriousness of the offence under consideration and the offender's previous record.
"Car related crime" is a wide term that covers a range of offences of varying seriousness. Therefore, offences of car related crime will be graded at different levels of seriousness within the police guidelines, leading to different decisions concerning the appropriate way to proceed depending on the seriousness of the offence and the circumstances of the youth offender involved.