§ Mr. Kilroy-Silkasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, pursuant to his reply on 8 August 1980 to the hon. Member for Ormskirk, Official Report, Vol. 990, c. 524–5, if he will list the research studies on which the decision to construct 244 extra secure places for children and young persons at an average capital cost of £20,000 in 1979 was based; and if he will take steps to reduce the number of secure places being constructed, in the light of the research, including some by his Department, indicating that young people are already being sent to secure places when they do not meet reasonable criteria for doing so.
§ Sir George YoungThe decision to encourage local authorities to build extra secure places was taken by the previous Administration, and arose mainly from the general desire to phase out the remanding of juveniles to prison department establishments. The Government have already ended such remanding for girls aged up to 17, and propose to end it for boys aged up to 15 from 31 March. Since May 1979, only three new secure units have been approved in principle.