§ Mr. MacKayTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans she has to replace the open provision juvenile justice Provisions by a single closed provision at Lisnevin Centre; when she expects to announce her decision on the provision; and what assessment she has made of the option of retaining open provision facilities for children in the Province. [88467]
§ Mr. IngramFollowing recent changes in the law relating to juvenile offenders, only the most serious or persistent offenders can be placed in custody. Most boys in custody are held in the only secure accommodation available—this is at Lisnevin. There has been a significant fall in the numbers in custody due to this legislation and also the introduction of a new determinate sentence and there is considerable spare capacity in the system. A review of the need for custodial places—both open and secure–is being carried out. The outcome of the review will be published in due course.