§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many youth treatment centres to accommodate children for long-term treatment in security have been opening since 1971; how many places are available in each one; and how many more he plans to build.
§ Sir George YoungThe St. Charles centre at Brentwood, Essex, opened in adapted premises in July 1971 and provides 33 places; the Glenthorne centre at Erdington, Birmingham, opened in February 1978 and provides 62 places, including eight in a hostel. A further702W 12 places are to be provided at St. Charles but my right hon. Friend decided recently not to proceed with a proposal for the provision of a third centre.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many secure places for children requiring treatment who have committed crimes were provided by local authorities in 1970 and for each year since; and what was the cost of such places in each year.
§ Sir George YoungSecure accommodation is not provided for the treatment of children who have committed serious crimes but for the care and treatment of the more disturbed and disruptive children and those who persistently abscond from open community homes. The numbers of secure places provided by local authorities in community homes in the years 1973 to 1979 are listed below:
1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 153 163 182 208 208 296 356 Before 1973 secure places were generally provided not by local authorities, but in approved schools run by voluntary organisations or local committees. 80 such places were provided in three special units attached to approved schools.
Information on revenue costs is not available but the average capital cost per place in 1978 and 1979 was about £20,000. Information for earlier years could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, what proportion of children currently in youth treatment centres or local authority secure places between the ages of 10 and 17 years (a) have been convicted of serious crimes, (b) are disruptive, (c) have run away from other institutions and (d) have been detained for other reasons.
§ Sir George YoungI regret that this information is not available centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish the two reports of the working parties which have examined secure accommodation for children.
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§ Sir George YoungThe report of an internal departmental working group entitled " Inspection of Secure Accommodation for Children and Young Persons—Guidance for Social Work Service " has been used by the Department's regional social work service since September 1979. It is now being revised with a view to circulation to interested local authorities and voluntary organisations.
Another internal working party expects shortly to complete its report on " Legal and Professional Aspects of the use of Secure Accommodation for Children in Care " and my right hon. Friend will consider the question of its publication when he has received it.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will publish a table showing the numbers of children between the ages of 10 and 17 years who have committed serious crimes for each year since 1970 and the numbers of secure places available in each year.
§ Sir George YoungI shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.