Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the (a) quality and (b) safety standards of secure accommodation for children from Bristol.

Children are placed into the most appropriate establishment to meet their needs, which may not necessarily be the closest to their home area although this is considered as a factor. This means that children from Bristol could be placed into any establishment across the youth secure estate. All establishments within the youth estate are regularly inspected by independent bodies, with reports published on their websites.

In England, sites are inspected by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons, Ofsted, the Care Quality Commission and Independent Monitoring Boards. In Wales, sites are inspected by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons, Estyn, Care Inspectorate Wales and the Independent Monitoring Board.

Any concerns raised by the Inspectorates during their visits, including about the quality of provision and the safety of children at the site, are taken very seriously and action is taken to address them. Where an establishment is operated by a private contractor, we will hold them to account.