Lowering the age of criminal responsibility to ten could allow the government to intervene early when children go astray, cutting criminal damage and burglary and driving down
home insurance quotes.
However, the government's insistence to keep the age of criminal responsibility to one of the lowest in Europe has not been without controversy.
In an interview with the Daily Telegraph, leading barrister Paul Mendelle QC raised concerns that rules, which may protect home insurance customers against burglary and crime, should be changed to view children as responsible for their actions at age 14.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice responded: "Setting the age of criminal responsibility at age ten allows front line services to intervene early and robustly, preventing further offending and helping young people develop a sense of personal responsibility for their behaviour."
The Conservative Party has also suggested that the government would only seek to prosecute people who use "grossly disproportionate" force to protect their homes against intruders.
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