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Deaths in Custody

My right honourable friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Jack Straw) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (Ed Balls) and I wish to make the following Statement to the House. It concerns the Government’s response to recommendations made by the coroners following the inquests into the tragic deaths of Gareth Myatt, at Rainsbrook secure training centre in April 2004 and Adam Rickwood at Hassockfield secure training centre in August 2004. In reply to a letter from HH Judge Richard Pollard, who presided at the inquest into Gareth’s death, we promised a full response to his recommendations. To that end, we have drawn up an action plan that sets out the measures that the Government and the Youth Justice Board have taken, and are taking, in response to Judge Pollard’s recommendations and those of Mr Andrew Tweddle, who presided at the inquest into Adam’s death. We are placing copies of the action plan in the Library of the House. Copies have also been made available in the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office. It can also be accessed on the publications section of the Ministry of Justice website at www.justice.gov.uk/publications/publications.htm or the publications section of the Department for Children, Schools and Families website at www.dfes.gov.uk/publications. The action plan demonstrates the volume and variety of work that is being done to enhance safeguarding and child protection in the under-18 secure estate. One important strand of that work is the independent joint review of the use of restraint, which is due to report to the Ministers of State for Justice and for Children, Young People and Families by 20 June.