Labour has criminalised a generation with a million children convicted in a decade

More than a million children have been convicted of a criminal offence and another million cautioned since Labour came to power, according to research by the Liberal Democrats. The figures, contained in answer to a Parliamentary Question, show that:

• 1,033,454 children aged between 10 and 17 have been convicted of a criminal offence since 1997. This includes almost 30,000 10 to 12 year olds.
  
  
• The number of 10 to 12 year olds convicted rose by 87.2% between 1997 and 2007. Among 13 to 15 year olds, it rose by 54.6%.
  
  
• 1,172,599 children aged between 10 and 17 were cautioned for a criminal offence under Labour.
  
  
• In the same period, 2,251,798 young adults (aged 18 to 21) were convicted and 577,424 were cautioned.

The Liberal Democrats propose a new approach to youth justice, tackling potential offenders before they enter the criminal justice system. Community Justice Panels should be established to draw up Positive Behaviour Orders (PBOs), which require minor offenders to agree on a course of action to pay back the community they have wronged.

The party is also committed to putting 10,000 extra police officers on the beat by scrapping the Government’s national ID card scheme. More officers will enable higher visibility policing at gun and knife crime hot spots and provide improved capability for intelligence-led stop and search.

The Liberal Democrats aim to engage young people and provide activities that will divert them from crime. The party will create a Youth Volunteer Force for every area, with young people working with local authorities on projects that serve the community.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said:

“These shocking figures show how Labour has criminalised a generation of our children.

“It is a disgrace the Government spends eleven times more locking up our young people than it does on backing projects to stop them getting involved in crime in the first place.

“Dragging young people through the criminal justice system for minor offences is the best way of helping them to graduate to a more serious life of crime.

“Labour talks tough on crime, and then creates more criminals. It's time to talk sense and act smart to stop the young offenders of today becoming the hardened criminals of tomorrow.

“We need to see innovative approaches that ensure children make amends to their victims and put things right, rather than immediately criminalising them.

“The Liberal Democrats propose a new approach to youth justice that prevents young people from getting into crime in the first place.”

Lansley warns "shocking" number of children addicted to alcohol and drugs

Andrew Lansley has accused Labour of neglecting a “forgotten generation of children” after it was revealed that 11,294 under-16-year-olds were treated for alcohol and drug dependency last year.

The Shadow Health Secretary, who uncovered the figures, called on the Government to take action to tackle the problem “before it’s too late”.

And he said it was a “sad indictment of our broken society” that so many children are turning to things like drug and alcohol abuse at such a young age.

The new information shows that in 2008:

• 6,075 under-16-year-olds were treated for cannabis dependency - with 102 of those under 12
• 4,005 children under-16-year-olds were treated for alcohol dependency - with 57 of those under 12
• 93 under-16-year-olds were treated for heroin dependency - with 10 of those under 12

Andrew said, “Tackling these problems has been low on (Labour’s) priority list and their irresponsible decision to roll out 24-hour drinking on our towns and communities has not helped.”

And he stressed that the NHS needs “a robust strategy” to improve public health – and that more must be done to tackle the wider causes of social breakdown.

Huhne: People caught selling alcohol to children let off lightly

Only seven people caught selling alcohol to children in 2007 were given the maximum fine, figures highlighted by the Liberal Democrats show.

The information, contained in a Parliamentary answer, shows that:

• No one was fined the maximum amount for selling or allowing the sale of alcohol to under 18s
• No one was find the maximum amount for persistently selling alcohol to children
• Only seven were fined the maximum amount for selling alcohol to children for consumption on the premises

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne said:

"The Government likes to talk tough, but these figures show people being let off lightly for selling alcohol to children.

"Rather than more posturing, ministers should enforce a strict policy to ensure those caught selling alcohol to children lose their licence."

Read more about the Liberal Democrat approach to alcohol licensing >>

(Home Office) Tough new measures to protect the vulnerable as vetting scheme delivery announced

Strong safeguards to protect children and vulnerable adults were set out in greater detail by the Government today ahead of the launch of the vetting and barring scheme (VBS) later this year.

The scheme, which is at the heart of the Government's strategy to increase the protection of vulnerable members of our society, begins on 12 October.

The UK already has one of the most advanced systems in the world for checking those who work in positions of trust with children and vulnerable adults.

Increased safeguards will start coming into effect from 12 October. Within five years, around five million more jobs and voluntary positions - including most NHS jobs - will have become subject to checks. This means many more people posing a risk to the vulnerable will be excluded from the workplace.

Additional safeguards starting in October are:

• reduction of red tape - two barring lists will be administered by a single organisation, the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), rather than the three lists currently maintained by two different Government departments: Protection Of Children Act (POCA), Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoVA) and List 99;
• the introduction of barring from 'regulated activities' - people included on the new ISA lists will be barred from a much wider range of jobs and activities than before, particularly in areas of work with vulnerable adults such as the NHS;
• a new duty to share information - employers, social services and professional regulators will have to notify the ISA of relevant information so individuals who pose a threat to vulnerable groups can be identified and barred from working with these groups; and
• new criminal offences - it will become a crime for a barred individual to seek or undertake work with vulnerable groups; and for employers to knowingly take them on.

From 26 July 2010 all new entrants to roles working with vulnerable groups and those switching jobs within these sectors will be able to register with the VBS and be checked by the ISA.

Registration will include employers being continuously informed of an employee's suitability to work. To ensure robust testing and maximise the safety of vulnerable groups, the mechanism that keeps employers informed of an employee's suitability to work will also be introduced in July next year rather than October 2009.

So as not to disrupt normal recruitment over the traditionally busy summer period, the legal requirement for employees to register with the VBS and employers to check their status will come into force in November 2010.

Home Office Minister, Meg Hillier, said:

"The protection of children and vulnerable adults is a priority for the government. The extra safeguards we are delivering from 12 October and next year will help remove an even greater number of unsuitable people who pose a potential risk to vulnerable groups from the workforce.

"We already have one of the most comprehensive vetting systems in the world. Once employers start being updated with new information about their employees from July 2010 it will offer even greater protection."

The VBS is designed to offer a more stream-lined, faster system of workplace vetting for those working with children and vulnerable adults building on existing good practices.

Good progress has already been made to deliver the Vetting and Barring Scheme, a direct response to the recommendations of the Bichard Inquiry.

In January this year, the ISA took over responsibility from ministers for decisions on new cases referred under existing barring schemes (List 99, PoCA and PoVA) to ensure a smooth delivery of the scheme. The ISA has begun including or considering to include all barred individuals on the new lists.

The Home Office appointed Sir Roger Singleton as the chairman of the ISA and Adrian McAllister, as its chief executive. The Board members were announced last May.

(DFT) Best feet forward as London pupils say goodbye to the school run

Primary school children across London are swapping their parents' cars for the pavement in return for a share of £1.8m of Government money. 94 schools in the capital have been awarded up to £1,000 to encourage pupils to walk to school, helping them to keep fit and reducing the number of journeys made by car.

'Walking buses' are convoys of pupils accompanied by staff or volunteers which follow a set route to school, and are amongst a range of measures introduced by local heads in recent years to curb the number of cars on the school run. Now those schools whose schemes have seen a sufficient drop in the number of car journeys to and from the school gates are set to benefit from an extension to their funding.

Transport Minister, Paul Clark, said:

"We have always been clear that we want as many children to walk or cycle to school as possible. Not only will this help tackle the issues of childhood obesity and carbon emissions, it is also an excellent way for young children to learn more about road safety. I am delighted that these 94 schools in London are doing such great work."

Schools which have managed to save an average of five return car trips a day will be receiving a grant of £1,000 to continue their work, while those running smaller schemes will each receive £500. Typically, grants are spent on organising and promoting the schemes, in addition to providing equipment such as high-visibility clothing.