Written question asked by Rudi Vis (Labour) on Tuesday, 27 October 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 29 October 2009. It was answered by Maria Eagle (Labour) on Wednesday, 4 November 2009 on behalf of the Ministry of Justice.

Secure Accommodation: Young Offender Institutions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average cost of placing remanded children in secure training centres was in the most recent period for which figures are available; and what proportion of that cost was met by the Youth Justice Board.

Answer: The Youth Justice Board calculates annual figures for the cost of places in the under-18 secure estate. As at 1 April 2009, the average cost of placing a young person remanded to custody in a secure training centre was £209,000 per annum (excluding VAT). The Youth Justice Board contributes two thirds of the cost and the young person's home local authority contributes the remaining third plus an administrative fee.The average cost of placing a remanded young person in a secure training centre is higher than for sentenced young people due to a differential in the economic cost of delivering the two regimes. The additional cost also reflects the fact that remanded young people have to be accommodated separately from sentenced trainees.

Secondary information