asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of offenders serving community service orders complete their sentences.

Returns made by the probation service for the 12 months ending 31 March 1978—the latest date for which figures are available—indicate that 78 per cent. of the community service orders which were terminated in that period were completed successfully.

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of offenders serving community service orders, who fail to complete their sentences, subsequently serve custodial sentences.

In 1977, 44 per cent. of those sentenced in England and Wales for breaching a community service order were given an immediate custodial sentence and a further 9 per cent. were given a suspended sentence of imprisonment. The numbers involved are shown in Table 6.22 of "Criminal Statistics, England and Wales, 1977" (Cmnd. 7289).