§ Mr. MacleanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many youth offender teams have been established; at what cost; and what plans he has to monitor their effectiveness. [77019]
§ Mr. BoatengYouth offending teams under section 39 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 have been established in 10 areas, by 16 local authorities working in partnership with the police, probation service and health authorities. These areas are piloting the teams, together with new powers for the police and the courts under the 1998 Act, ahead of national implementation. The Government expect all areas of England and Wales to have youth offending teams in place by April 2000, when it intends to implement section 39 nationwide.
The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, established under section 41 of the 1998 Act, is monitoring progress in all areas in preparing for national implementation of the Act's provisions for youth offending teams and other new youth justice measures and will monitor the effectiveness of the new teams in reducing youth offending. The Board is aware that youth offending teams have so far been substantially established on a non-statutory basis in around 35 local authority areas to undertake existing work with young offenders.
The pilots will help the Government better to assess the costs and savings associated with the new youth justice measures. The Government are expecting local authorities and their partner agencies to put in place the basic structure of youth offending teams within existing resources, reflecting the work which staff within those agencies should already be undertaking with young offenders and those at risk of offending. Where local areas are being expected to deliver new services under the 1998 Act, the Government recognise that extra resources may be needed. These were estimated in the Financial Memorandum to the Crime and Disorder Bill and these estimates are now being tested through the pilots.