§ Mr. ShawTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what options he has considered for the future use of HMP Blantyre House; and when he will make an announcement. [108417]
§ Mr. BoatengAs a key part of the Government's wide-ranging reforms of the youth justice system the Prison Service is developing a distinct estate for under-18-year-old boys. This forms part of a wider strategy, overseen by the new Youth Justice Board, to improve the coherence of the juvenile secure estate and drive up standards. Initially the estate will consist of 13 establishments, but the Prison Service and the Youth Justice Board have drawn up a strategy for securing further improvements in due course.
One area targeted for improvement is the provision of places in London and the south-east. To ensure that boys from the region can be held closer to home, the option of including Blantyre House within the under-18 estate has been considered. However, the proposal is contingent upon the availability of resources and trends in the prison population and it is not possible to say when a final decision will be taken. In determining Blantyre House's future, the Prison Service will seek to weigh up all the competing strategic needs. This will include the role that Blantyre House currently fulfils as a resettlement establishment.