Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Lord Faulks on 18 November (HL Deb, col 176), which scientific studies informed the comments that "there is a considerably held view" that the adult brain reaches maturity at age 25, and that "scientific study of the adolescent brain has yet to identify an obvious point at which we can distinguish between adolescent and adults".

The age of majority is a complex subject and one which requires careful consideration. A range of differing academic views on adolescent brain development exist, for example those set out by Professor Laurence Steinberg or Dr Jay Giedd. In ‘Changing Prisons, Saving Lives - Report of the Independent Review into Self-inflicted Deaths in Custody of 18-24 year olds’ (published in July 2015), the Harris review panel comment that ‘research shows that brain structures continue to mature and develop well into the twenties’(citing ‘White Matter Development in Adolescence: A DTI Study’ by Dr Miya Asato et al).