§ Mr. Robert McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many residents at the Rathgael centre in Bangor in 1995 were brought there because St. Patrick's training school was unable to provide a place; if these inmates had higher levels of absconding; and if he will make a statement. [25755]
185W
§ Sir John WheelerDuring 1995 a total of 14 boys were referred to Rathgael because they could not be accommodated at St. Patrick's training school. Of these boys, 11 or 79 per cent. were responsible for absconding on a total of 17 occasions—an average of 1.2 abscondings per pupil. Of the remaining throughput of 271 during 1995, 133 or 49 per cent. absconded on a total of 764 occasions—an average of 2.8 times per pupil.