§ Lord Allen of Abbeydaleasked Her Majesty's Government:
When they expect to bring into use the training centre at Cookham Wood for offenders aged 12–14; whether it will include provision for girls; and what area it will serve.
§ Lord Williams of MostynUnder the terms of the contract, Cookham Wood is expected to be available for use in April 1998. The secure training centre will make provision for both boys and girls. The contract requires girls to be accommodated in facilities capable of being completely separated from boys. Sleeping accommodation will be physically separate.
Cookham Wood will accommodate offenders sentenced to a secure training order. The order will he available to all courts in England and Wales and plans to procure four further centres are being taken forward. It is intended that the facilities at the planned secure training centres will be sufficiently flexible to be consistent with the outcome of the review of the whole range of secure accommodation for young offenders already announced by my right honourable friend.