Youth Offending

Baroness Bull Excerpts

Thursday 21st May 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Levitt (Lab)]

We have no plans. The Bar Council is conducting a review of this and we will, like any responsible Government, consider that review once it is reported and take matters from there.

[Baroness Bull (CB)]

My Lords, the prevalence of learning difficulties in the youth justice system is incredibly high. I understand figures show that about 80% of young people who are cautioned or sentenced have some kind of special educational need or neurodivergent condition. Does the Minister agree that this seems to suggest that a stronger focus in the education system on early diagnosis and intervention, particularly for specific learning difficulties, would have an impact on youth offending rates?

[Baroness Levitt (Lab)]

I think the noble Baroness may be referring to the excellent report by the Michael Sieff Foundation, which, as she said, said that up to 80% of children in the custodial estate either have special educational needs or are neurodivergent. This is why the Government want to put resources into early diagnosis and diversion, ensuring that there is in place wraparound care for families whose children are showing signs of perhaps entering the criminal justice system, before it is too late. That is why we have invested heavily in the Turnaround scheme—I pay tribute to the previous Government for doing so—which looks to get children upstream, as it were, before they have become involved in the justice system, and to work with the whole family. The success rate is great. Only 7% of children who have been involved in Turnaround go on to commit offences.