HC Deb 12 December 1977 vol 941 c20W
Mr. Macfarlane

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the attendance centres in the United Kingdom with accommodation capacity.

Mr. John

Home Office Circular No. 136/77, a copy of which is in the Library of the House, lists all the attendance centres in England and Wales except a newly opened one at Warrington. There is one attendance centre in Northern Ireland and none in Scotland.

Attendance centres are not purpose built and there is no set accommodation capacity. The officer in charge of each centre organises sessions and staffing according to the number of boys who have been made subject to attendance centre orders. Generally speaking, it is considered that six boys per session is the smallest number that can make a centre viable, but there may be up to 100 or more boys in a session.