10
Mrs. TAM (in Cantonese):
there is an increase in
Sir, the statistics show that
juvenile crimes.
Can
the Government inform this Council when the authorities
concerned will conduct another survey on the reasons for
remedial
this so that proper measures can be taken?
been considered, why ?
If this has not
Secretary for Security:
Sir, we are all constantly on the
lookout to try and find what the causes of people turning to
crime are. It is a notoriously tricky area and the Research.
Sub-Committee of the Fight Crime Committee has done a
considerable amount of work on this particular aspect. One
of the most important factors seems to be whether or not
at least one of the parents is available during the day
to Look after the children. Split families tend to divide
and force children into crime. Another important factor
is the education system, in particular, the extent to which
children are for half a day left free to roam around because
they are attending a morning session or an afternoon session so
in the other half of the day they are free to do what they like
and they have no family at home because the family is working,
and they end up on the streets and they end up going into
department stores and pinching stuff off the shelves. It is a
very, very complicated business, but I can assure my hon.
Friend that we are constantly working at it and wherever we find
areas where we can provide or suggest possible solutions, then
Page 330Page 331