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Prisons: Population

My Lords, I welcome what the Lord Chancellor has said about the Government’s efforts to secure more mentors for young people and I acknowledge the work that the DIVERT Trust, founded by the noble Lord, Lord Elton, does to provide mentors for such young people. I ask the Lord Chancellor to pay careful attention to the ratio of young people to custody officers in young offender institutions. With 60 young people to two or three officers in a wing, it is hard for positive relationships to be established. Will he also kindly look at the supervision and development of officers in those situations? Secondly, will he consider how to keep parents near their families, siblings near each other and fathers near their children as much as possible in these difficult circumstances?