AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY

Motion Text

That this House welcomes the approach set out in Every Child Matters, to develop integrated and universal services for children coupled with the identification of children at risk of becoming involved in anti-social behaviour from a very young age; believes however that the criminalisation of children as young as 10 impedes effective work with children and their families and accelerates progress into a youth custody system where 26 children have died in recent years; and therefore calls upon the Government to make the 35th anniversary of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 by bringing into law its unimplemented clauses to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14.