§ Mr. DawsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the Munby Judgment, when he will provide a separate escort service for young people sentenced to custody. [154426]
§ Paul Goggins[holding answer 11 February 2004]: Although Mr. Justice Munby referred briefly to evidence relating to the escort service, he did not make any ruling or give any opinion whether a separate escort service for juvenile offenders was needed.
Escort services are provided by private companies under contract to the Prison Service (for those sent to Young Offender Institutions) and the Youth Justice Board (for those sent to secure training centres or local authority secure children's homes (LASCHs)). The secure training centre/LASCH escort service is exclusively for 12 to 17-year-olds. Those sent to Young Offender Institutions may be carried in vehicles with older offenders, but there are requirements in the contract to achieve separation from over-l8-year-olds.
A tender exercise is currently under way for the next round of Prison Service escort contracts, which are due to commence in August 2004. The Prison Service has asked bidders to include the provision of separate vehicles for juveniles as an option in their bids. Whether this option is pursued will depend upon consideration of the bids as a whole.
Welfare clauses in the Prison Service escort contracts provide for those at risk. They emphasise the need for care and sensitivity with newly-remanded or -sentenced prisoners; and for recognition of religious and cultural 1468W needs and the needs of those with sensory impairment or disability or problems with communication. Handover procedures are designed to ensure that contractor's staff and other agencies communicate with each other about welfare issues. Operating procedures are kept under constant review; with a view to identifying and correcting weaknesses.