HC Deb 07 April 1998 vol 310 cc171-2W
Mr. Crausby

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the responses received(a) to the draft Crime and Disorder Bill and (b) from local authorities on the proposed duty to produce a youth justice plan. [37365]

Mr. Michael

The Government's proposal to place a duty on local authorities with social services and education responsibilities, to formulate and implement an annual youth justice plan covering the provision of youth justice services and youth offending teams, was set out in the consultation paper "New National and Local Focus on Youth Crime", published in October. Sixteen local authorities commented specifically on the proposal for a youth justice plan. Overall, they gave a broad welcome to the proposal and commented on the need for proper links between youth justice plans and other local plans, in particular, the children's services plan drawn up by local authorities and the policing plan issued by police authorities. A summary of the responses to the consultation paper was placed in the Library on 15 December 1997.

The proposal for a youth justice plan was reflected in the White Paper "No More Excuses—A New Approach to Tackling Youth Crime in England and Wales", published in November, and is now contained in clause 37 of the Crime and Disorder Bill.

The preparation of youth justice plans and their relationship with other local plans will be addressed in guidance to local authorities and the other relevant local agencies.

Mr. Crausby

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to whom the proposed youth offending teams will be accountable. [37363]

Mr. Michael

Clause 36 of the Crime and Disorder Bill places the responsibility for establishing youth offending teams on the local authority with education and social services responsibilities in the area. Youth offending teams will therefore be accountable to that local authority for the way they discharge their statutory duties.

In practice, we expect youth offending teams to be accountable to a group of chief officers from the local authority and from those agencies placed under a duty by clause 36 to co-operate with the local authority in establishing a youth offending team. They are the police, the probation service and the health authority. This group will in turn account to the local authority, the police authority, the probation committee and the health authority. It is expected that where there are two tiers of local authority, there would be consultation with the District Authorities and to ensure coherence with the work of Crime Prevention Partnerships and the work of Drug Action Teams.

Clause 37 of the Bill also places a duty on local authorities, after consultation with the police authority, probation committee and health authority, to formulate and implement an annual youth justice plan covering the provision of youth offending teams and youth justice services. This plan will be published and submitted to the Youth Justice Board established under clause 38, which will be able to hold the local authority and the other agencies to account for the arrangements for teams and services in their area.