§ Mr. Berminghamasked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many secure unit places are available for those juveniles held in secure care in (a) England and Wales and (b) the Greater London area;
(2) how many secure unit places for those juveniles held in secure care were in use at the latest available date in (a) England and Wales and (b) the Greater London area.
§ Mrs. CurrieThere are currently 325 approved secure places in the community home system in England, of which 63 are provided or managed by local authorities in the Greater London area. In addition, there are 58 secure places in youth treatment centres provided by the Department.
Information about children accommodated in secure units is routinely collected on a financial year basis. The provisional figures for 31 March 1986 were 264 children accommodated in secure units in community homes in England of which 45 were in units provided or managed by local authorities in the Greater London area. On the same date there were 55 children accommodated in secure units in the youth treatment centres. An ad hoc survey of the current occupancy of secure units has just been completed and I shall write to the hon. Member when the results have been collated.
Information about the provision and use of secure accommodation in Wales is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.