§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what occasions mail sent to a child at the Medway Training Centre has been withheld. [48161]
§ Mr. MichaelI am told that no such mail has been withheld.
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of(a) self-harm and (b) attempted suicide by children have taken place at the Medway Training Centre. [48160]
§ Mr. MichaelThere has been one incident of self-harm, in which the trainee scratched his arm. He was seen by medical staff but no treatment was required. No trainee has attempted suicide.
246W
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Home Office monitor is assigned to the Medway Training Centre; and if he will indicate their experience of working with institutions for children. [48162]
§ Mr. MichaelBrett Robinson, a Home Office official, is currently the Monitor for Medway Secure Training Centre, and he has a statutory duty to report to the Secretary of State on how the STC is being run. He has not had direct experience of working within an institution for children, but his training for the post included periods at local authority secure units. The Monitor has a wide range of experience which fits him for the role of monitoring the performance of the contractor in delivering the service required at the STC, including compliance with the Statutory Rules.
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what costs have been incurred by the public sector for unfilled places at the Medway Training Centre since its opening. [48159]
§ Mr. MichaelThe contract price is determined by the availability of places and the quality of service provided. There is a fixed daily price for the first 30 places available, irrespective of whether they are occupied or not, and a lower daily rate for the final 10 places if these are used.
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees at the Medway Training Centre have previous experience of working with children with a history of offending. [48158]
§ Mr. MichaelWe understand that around 30 per cent. of the staff who work directly with trainees at Medway Secure Training Centre have previously worked with young people with a history of offending. All staff have received training in understanding and dealing with disturbed adolescents.
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the average weekly cost of keeping a child at the Medway Training Centre. [48157]
§ Mr. MichaelThe average cost of a place at Medway is £2,400 per week excluding capital costs. This compares with the average cost in local authority secure accommodation for 1997–98 of £2,570.
§ Mr. BeithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many family or social visits to a child held at the Medway Training Centre have been stopped since its opening. [48156]
§ Mr. MichaelNone.