§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he intends to review the programme concerning the provision for secure units for children aged between 10 and 16 years and the circular that is issued to local authorities in this connection; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. NewtonThe amount of secure provision currently available and under construction was recently reviewed. After consulting the local authorities, my right hon. Friend concluded that a final decision on ending the secure unit building programme should be taken when he was satisfied that no gaps existed which could lead to young people being sent to secure accommodation far from their homes. Meanwhile the relevant local authority circulars remain valid, and individual applications for grant are considered on their merits.