§ 30. Mr. BellinghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representation he has received in respect of 17 and 18-year-olds being held on remand in adult prison.
§ Mrs. RumboldWe have not received recent representations specifically in regard to 17 and 18-year-olds, but I am of course aware of general concern in relation to young persons remanded into custody. Our policy is that wherever possible unconvicted and unsentenced male prisoners under the age of 21 years should be held in separate units. The practical possibilities are limited by the needs of the courts and the constraints of the prison estate. The latter are being alleviated by the prison building programme and certain role changes are also under consideration.