Medway Secure Training Centre (Hansard, 26 November 1998)

§ Lord Williams of Mostyn

As of today, there are 36 trainees at Medway secure training centre. This is fewer than the maximum of 40 trainees who may be held there because my right honourable friend the Home Secretary has asked Rebound ECD, the contractors for Medway secure training centre, to put in place a programme of work, including refurbishment, to address difficulties that have been experienced at the centre, so as to ensure the high standard of care, control, education and training required by the contract. While this programme of work is being taken forward, the number of trainees held at Medway will be reduced on a temporary basis to 25 to help facilitate this work. Other trainees will be placed in local authority secure accommodation. The Government are committed to ensuring that secure provision for those young people whose offending is so serious or persistent as to require a period in a secure environment is of good quality, positive and constructive in tackling offending behaviour. We are working closely with Rebound ECD to achieve that. We are monitoring the situation at Medway closely and will continue to do so.