Prisons: Deaths of Young People

Lord Shutt of Greetland Excerpts

Thursday 6th February 2014 Lords Chamber

[Lord Faulks]

We have the good fortune of having the noble Lord, Lord Harris, present in the Chamber. I am sure he will have heard that question and taken it into account. I am unable to give the House actual statistics on the situation that the noble Baroness describes, but clearly the duty on the state to look after young people arises just as acutely whether they are in police cells or in prison.

[Lord Shutt of Greetland (LD)]

My Lords—

[Baroness McIntosh of Hudnall (Lab)]

My Lords—

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Shutt of Greetland]

My Lords, I have a simple but important question. Is the inquiry of the noble Lord, Lord Harris, to be an inquiry under the Inquiries Act 2005?

[Lord Faulks]

I am unable to give a precise answer, but it is certainly not within the scope of those terms specifically. I will write to the noble Lord to confirm that.