§ Dr. Lynne JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the Government's policy in respect of eliminating the remanding of youths in prison. [2315]
§ Mr. MacleanWe are committed to ending the remand of 15 and 16-year-old boys to Prison Service establishments as soon as there are sufficient secure local authority places to accommodate them. A building programme of 170 new secure places is under way for this purpose. The first places came on stream last December and all additional places will be available during 1997.