§ 34. Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the Hull Girls' Remand Home refused to take the girl mentioned in the case, details of which have been sent to his right hon. Friend by the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull, North, unless she was already admitted to an approved school and sent to the Hull Girls' Remand Home whilst awaiting allocation for an approved school.
§ Miss BaconThis remand home is not at present available to the courts. Because of staff shortages it has been temporarily closed by the local authority.
§ Mr. McNamaraIs not a degree of flexibility needed in this type of case, so that a young girl is not sent back to the scene where she was in grave moral danger?
§ Miss BaconAs I have explained to my hon. Friend before, there was confusion in this girl's case in the courts. We are always pleased when local authorities decide to have more remand home accommodation. My hon. Friend will be pleased to know that I was able to open a new one in Oxfordshire only yesterday, and I hope that the Hull authority will be able to proceed with the new one which it is proposing in the near future.