asked the Secretary of State for Scotland, in view of the policy recently advocated by Lord Kilbrandon regarding the treatment of juvenile offenders, what proposals he has for strengthening the law affecting the power of the courts to award more suitable punishment to such offenders.

None, Sir. No doubt the hon. Member will have read the Report of Lord Kilbrandon's Committee on Children and Young Persons, which was published last week.

Yes, indeed, but would my right hon. Friend not agree that the most suitable punishment for these "young perishers", as Lord Kilbrandon so aptly termed them, would be a suitable spanking on the place which hurts without doing any harm?

The Government view, which I share, is that corporal punishment inflicted on the rather distant advice of a court is probably not a useful solution.

Would the Secretary of State ask his hon. Friend the Member for Ayr (Sir T. Moore) to publish the reminiscences of his youth to show how effective this was?

Order. Fascinating as it would be, I do not think it is part of the Minister's duty to ask an hon. Member questions.