§ Mr. MarlandTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will issue guidelines to local authorities to prevent juvenile offenders from being sent abroad during their punishment.
§ Mr. MarlandTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he issues to social services departments to ensure that juveniles in their care attend at court hearings on the day they are due to appear.
§ Mr. BowisVolume 1 of the Children Act 1989 guidance and regulations makes it clear that it is the responsibility of a local authority to ensure that any juvenile remanded to local authority accommodation is produced in court at the date, place and time specified by the court. A copy of the guidance and regulations is available in the Library.
§ Mr. MarlandTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many local authorities use private residential homes in the treatment of juvenile offenders;
(2) if he will provide a breakdown by local authority of the number of young offenders in (a) council-run secure accommodation and (b) private residential homes or schools at the latest available date.
§ Mr. BowisInformation available centrally about the number of children and young people accommodated compulsorily by local authorities relates to the legislation under which they are held and not to offences committed or alleged.
The numbers in secure accommodation at 31 March 1992 who were admitted on remand or detained or subject to a care order in criminal proceedings are given in table A.
Numbers of children and young people who were accommodated compulsorily by local authorities in private residential homes or schools at 31 March 1992, and were on remand or detained or subject to care order in criminal proceedings, are given in table B. Only local authorities that submitted valid data for the period ending 31 March 1992 and had at least one child accommodated in this way at 31 March 1992 are listed.
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Subject to care order made in criminal proceedings Remanded Section 23, CYPA1 1969 Remanded to LA accommodation Detained Section 38(6) CYPA1 Act 1984 Detained S53 CYPA Act 1933 Hampshire — — 5 — — Hillingdon — — — — 1 Lancashire 2 — 4 — 23 Leeds 2 — 7 — 15 Lincolnshire — — 1 1 1 Liverpool 1 — 3 — 1 Newham — — 4 — — Northumberland 1 — 2 — — Nottinghamshire — — 1 — 4 Oxfordshire — — 3 — — Salford — — 5 — 2 Southwark — — 5 — 2 St. Helens — — 1 — — 1 Children and Young Persons Act.
Table B Number of children looked after at 31 March 1992 in private residential accommodation and schools, subject to a care order in criminal proceedings or remand Local authorities Criminal care order Remand Total1 24 6 Bedfordshire 1 — Birmingham 2 1 Coventry 1 — Derbyshire — 1 Devon 1 — Dorset 1 — Gateshead 1 — Greenwich — 1 Havering 1 — Hereford and Worcester 1 — Lambeth — 1 Lancashire 1 — Newham 2 — Oxfordshire — 1 Sheffield 1 — Somerset 2 — South Tyneside 1 — Staffordshire 3 — Stockport 1 — Suffolk — 1 Tameside 1 — Wiltshire 1 — Wolverhampton 2 — 1The total of the 90 authorities with validated returns.
§ Mr. MarlandTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to change the guidance his Department issues to local authorities regarding the placement of young offenders.
§ Mr. BowisCurrent guidance to local authorities derives from a number of sources. It is kept under review to reflect changing circumstances.