§ Mr. Andrew F. Bennettasked the Secretary of State for Social Services why there was no place available in a secure assessment centre for the boy involved in the third case before the Stockport Juvenile Court on Wednesday 6th November; and if she will take immediate steps to ensure that this boy, who committed the majority of his 250 offences while committed to the care of the local authority, is found a place in a secure assessment centre.
§ Dr. OwenThe arrangements to be made for the boy in question are a matter for Stockport Metropolitan District Council, in whose care he is and which has informed me that later on 6th November the boy was taken to a community home as a result of arrangements made by the authority. This home, while not physically secure, is considered likely to be able to meet his needs.
I deeply regret that at present no observation and assessment centre in the North-West has secure accommodation for boys other than in the form of a single room suitable only for strictly temporary occupation. Most of these centres were formerly remand homes and, as such, were as a matter of principle open establishments. The local authorities' regional planning committee established under the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 fully recognises the need for some secure accommodation, and in the constituent local authorities' judgment some 30 to 40 secure places are required, and proposals added to the regional plan since 1st April 1973, when action started on the plan, provide for these places to be incorporated in secure wings or units in five of the centres. As much priority as possible will be given to these proposals but I regret that none of them was far enough 40W advanced for building work to begin in the current financial year.
This Government have already in effect restored the cut in the capital programme for community homes which resulted from the previous Government's decision last December to reduce local authority capital expenditure by 20 per cent. We have invited local authorities to bring forward this year additional projects which we know they are anxious to start to the total of £1.5 million and in doing so have given the highest possible priority to projects which include secure accommodation. We are currently giving urgent consideration to what other steps can be taken to provide quickly more secure accommodation.