HC Deb 11 March 1976 vol 907 cc295-6W
45. Sir Bernard Braine

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what plans she has for remedying the acute shortage of secure accommodation for young offenders in the eastern counties.

Dr. Owen

Local authorities are primarily responsible for providing accommodation, whether secure or open, for children in their care who will include offenders under the age of 17. Area 6—East Anglia—at present has no secure accommodation in use. However, the regional plan includes proposals by local authorities in the area to provide 18 secure places in observation and assessment centres, and four such places for long-term treatment in a community home with education on the premises.

I understand that six places in an observation and assessment centre in Essex will be coming into use very shortly.

Mr. Cordle

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) what representations her Department has received concerning the provision of secure places for young offenders;

(2) how many secure places are currently available in England and Wales where young persons made the subject of an unruly certificate by magistrates can be accommodated;

(3) what plans her Department has to increase the number of secure places in England and Wales suitable for the accommodation of young unruly offenders; and if she will make a statement.

Dr. Owen

The Government have received representations from several right hon. and hon. Members, from juvenile court panels and other bodies in the past year about the shortage of secure accommodation for offenders under the age of 17.

In March 1975, there were 59 secure places in observation and assessment centres in England and Wales and, according to children's regional plans, some 200 more are to be provided. Of the latter, schemes to furnish a total of 88 places have been approved for inclusion in local authorities' capital programmes. Of these, 18 places are currently under construction. The Government hope that authorities will, like them, accord high priority to providing these additional places, particularly in view of the need to bring to an end, as soon as possible, remands of young persons to prison establishments. A new power was taken in the Children Act 1975 to make grants to local authorities to enable them to provide such accommodation.