§ Mr. ClaphamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of youth offending teams; and if he will make a statement. [126367]
§ Mr. Charles ClarkeYouth offending teams have been in place across England and Wales since 1 April 2000. They are now operating a range of new interventions for young offenders with support from the Youth Justice Board. The Board will be monitoring their impact and will identify and disseminate good practice.
465WYouth offending teams and the new police and court powers were previously piloted for 18 months and in 10 areas. The interim reports of the evaluation led by Sheffield University are in the Library. They show the practical value of the teams' multi-agency approach. The final evaluation report will be published during the summer.