HC Deb 23 November 1993 vol 233 cc27-8W
Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he plans to take to ensure that children who will be held in secure training centres do not deliberately harm themselves.

Mr. Maclean

I fully recognise the importance of this issue. Providers of facilities for juveniles serving the custodial part of a secure training order will be required to develop and implement a suicide and self-harm awareness and prevention policy. This will be monitored by the Home Office.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the 25 hours per week lesson time which children at secure training centres will receive will be spent on education; and how much on vocational training.

Mr. Maclean

The figure of 25 hours per week lesson time was a suggested minimum in the outline draft specification for the delivery of the regime in a secure training centre. A number of comments were received on this and other aspects of the proposed regime. The minimum number of hours lesson time per week and the breakdown between education and vocational training are matters which are still under consideration. Our present intention is to retain flexibility so as to enable each trainee to follow a programme based on his or her individual needs.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what police and medical checks will be required of staff appointed to work in secure training centres.

Mr. Maclean

The Government intend to ensure that a wide range of checks are made on staff who work in secure training centres. Staff who have a specific responsibility for the custody of detained juveniles will require a certificate issued by the Secretary of State.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to ensure that there is not an inappropriately high ratio of boys and girls in secure training centres.

Mr. Maclean

The secure training order will be a sentence available to the youth court for persistent juvenile offenders who meet statutory criteria. It will be the decision of the court as to who will be made the subject of an order. Facilities for both boys and girls will be available in each secure training centre.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he plans to announce a complaints and representation procedure for children who will be held in secure training centres;

(2) if he will make it his policy that arrangements for representation of children held in secure training centres should be the same as those provided in the Children Act 1989 for children in secure accommodation.

Mr. Maclean

I am still considering with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health what provision should be made for a complaints and representation procedure for children held in the new centres.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a mandatory key worker scheme into secure training centres.

Mr. Maclean

We are currently considering whether it will be necessary to require agencies or organisation providers secure training centres to provide a key worker scheme.

Mrs. Roche

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that secure training centres should not be sited an impractical distance away from hospital accident and emergency departments.

Mr. Maclean

No decision has been made on sites for secure training centres. A number of factors will be taken into consideration. These will include proximity to main centres of population.