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Written question asked by David Crausby (Labour) on Monday, 6 December 1999, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 December 1999. It was answered by Lord Boateng (Labour) on Monday, 13 December 1999 on behalf of the Home Office.

Home Office

Question
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many children below the ages of (a) 15 and (b) 18 years have been held in custody in each of the last five years. - Inc table and ref to 'Prison statistics England and Wales' (Table 3.10 of the 1998 edition, column 4430) and Department of Health statistical bulletin 'Children Accommodated in Secure Units', in Library.
Answer

Mr. Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children below the ages of (a) 15 and (b) 18 years have been held in custody in each of the last five years. [102036] Mr. Boateng: Information on the number of receptions into Prison Service establishments in England and Wales of persons aged 15-17 between 1994 and 1998 is given in the table. This information is also published in successive volumes of "Prison statistics England and Wales" (Table 3.10 of the 1998 edition, column 4430) copies of which are in the Library. In addition, 107 Secure Training Orders were made between 1 March 1998, the implementation date, and 31 December 1998. Such persons would, at that time, have been accommodated in either a Secure Training Centre or in local authority secure accommodation. Information on the population of persons aged less than 15 years in local authority secure accommodation is published in a Department of Health statistical bulletin entitled "Children Accommodated in Secure Units". This information is presented on a financial year basis with the last report (Bulletin 1999-6) covering the year ending 31 March 1998. Receptions{1} into prisons in England and Wales of 15-17 year olds by type of custody 1994-98 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Year Remand Sentenced 1998 6,482 5,585 1997 6,625 5,617 1996 6,513 5,285 1995 5,960 4,671 1994 5,716 4,120 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. {1} Total receptions cannot be calculated by adding together receptions in each category because there is double counting. However, double counting has been allowed for in the figures of receptions of prisoners under remand where the figures for `remand' record only once a person received as an untried prisoner who is subsequently received also as a convicted unsentenced prisoner.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
341 c4W; 102036
Session
1999-00
Subjects
Children Custodial treatment Police custody Young people Young offenders
Contains statistics
Yes