§ Lord Actonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it will be a necessary precondition for success that contractors tendering for secure training centres have previous experience in working with difficult and delinquent young adolescents.
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Baroness Blatch):The original advertisement in the Official Journal of the European Communities required potential bidders to give details of any work undertaken in the 114WA previous three years demonstrating capability in the provision of services for young people. This information was taken into account in deciding who should be invited to tender.
§ Lord Actonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether 12 to 14 year-old girls as well as boys will be liable to be sent to the proposed secure training centres at Gringley in Nottinghamshire and Cookham Wood in Kent, and if so what special arrangements are planned to ensure their wellbeing.
§ Baroness Blatch:The Secure Training Order will be available for both male and female offenders. The operational specification requires that females should be accommodated in facilities capable of being completely separated from males. Sleeping accommodation must be physically separate. The arrangements proposed by tenderers to ensure the necessary degree of protection, privacy and protection of trainees will be given very careful consideration before any contracts are awarded.