§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will arrange urgently for appropriate accommodation to be provided for the 15-year-old who has twice been remanded to an adult prison from Crewe juvenile court; and what secure accommodation is available for young people in the north-west.
§ Mr. MellorThe provision of appropriate accommodation for children in care is the statutory responsibility of local authorities. I understand that Cheshire county council has been unable to find a secure vacancy in a community home for the boy referred to, although it continues to make urgent inquiries.
There are currently 294 approved secure places provided by local authorities in England, to which all local authorities have access. Local authorities in the north-west provide 65 of these places.