§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each year 1979 to 1989 the local authorities which maintain secure units for the purpose of restricting the liberty of children in care and within each authority give(a) the type of unit provided, (b) the number of places available, (c) the number of places filled by children from outside the authority and (d) the number of places filled by children from within the authority.
§ Mr. Mellor[holding answer 17 March 1989]: We do not have information in the form requested for the full period. The table gives details of approved secure units as at 31 December 1988. Details of the use made of each unit by local authorities are given in "Children Accommodated In Secure Units During the Year Ending 31 March" for the years 1984 to 1987. Copies are available in the Library. Information on children in secure accommodation was not collected centrally prior to 1984.
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Region and location Local authorities O & A or Number of CHE1 places2 South Western Atkinson Unit Devon O & A 12M Kingswood Avon CHE 20B 1 Observation and Assessment Centres (O & A); Community Homes with Education (CHE). 1 Girls (G); Boys (B); Mixed sex (M).
§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide the total number of children in care in each local authority for each year 1979 to 1989 and list the proportion of those in care who were placed in approved secure accommodation maintained(a) by the authority and (b) elsewhere.
§ Mr. Mellor[holding answer 17 March 1989]: The number of children in care in each authority at 31 March is published annually in "Children in Care of Local Authorities During the Year Ending 31 March, England" for 1979–87.
The information requested for secure accommodation is not readily available in the form requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, the latest available information on the total number of children in approved secure accommodation at 31 March (including some who are not in care) is published annually in "Children Accommodated in Secure Units During the Year Ending 31 March, England" for 1984–87.
Copies of these publications are availible in the Library.
No information on children in secure accommodation was collected prior to 1984; the current format of collection and publication was introduced in 1985.
§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of approved secure places were filled by(a) juvenile offenders, (b) young persons who have been detained under section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and (c) children in care who have not committed any offence for each year from 1979 to 1989; and if he will make a statement on the availability of such places.
§ Mr. Mellor[holding answer 17 March 1989]: We do not collect information centrally in the form requested. However, the details available of the legal status of children in approved secure units are given in "Children Accommodated in Secure Units During the Year Ending 31 March 1987, England" for 1984–87. Copies are available in the Library. Information on children in secure accommodation was not collected centrally prior to 1984.
The provision of secure accommodation is the statutory responsibility of local authorities. There were 294 places available in 38 secure units on 31 December 1988; in addition, five secure units, providing 46 places, were temporarily closed on that date because of building work.
Because secure accommodation is a specialised resource there is, at times, considerable pressure on available places. The Department is always ready to consider applications from local authorities for grant aid towards the costs of providing new secure units and renovating and extending existing units.
§ Mr. PaiceTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the total cost to local authorities and directly to the Department of Health for the provision of secure accommodation in each year from 1979 to 1988; and what is the estimated cost for the years 1989 to 1991.
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§ Mr. Mellor[holding answer 17 March 1989]: We do not hold centrally information about the revenue cost to local authorities of providing secure accommodation.
Grant-aid may be made available by the Department to local authorities to meet the capital costs of providing secure accommodation and to improve security aspects of existing units. The table provides the available information:
Table: Grants to local authorities (S.81 Child Care Act 1980). £000s 1978–79 1,024 1979–80 1,120 1980–81 2,000 1981–82 1,748 1982–83 525 1983–84 316 1984–85 572 1985–86 506 1986–87 503 1987–88 1,205 1988–89 1994 1989–90 22,500 1 Estimate. 2 Current budget limit.