HC Deb 25 March 2004 vol 419 cc1020-1W
Mr. Oaten

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to alter the monitoring regime for secure training centres; and whether each secure training centre will continue to have a full-time on-site monitor. [163326]

Paul Goggins

Under section 8 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 each contracted-out secure training centre (STC) must have a monitor. There are no plans to change that requirement.

Since the first STC opened in 1998 the Home Office and the Youth Justice Board have built up substantial monitoring experience. We believe the lessons learned can and should be applied more widely across the juvenile secure estate. To do that the Youth Justice Board is introducing a new regional performance monitoring regime. This will cover STCs alongside Young Offender Institutions and Local Authority Secure Children's Homes.

The nominated STC monitors will combine their STC role with other, regional performance monitoring; they will be supported by assistant monitors on-site; and as part of the changes S TC monitoring will be strengthened by including along with contract compliance the reception and induction arrangements, key performance indicators, key safeguarding indicators and safety tests.