Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons publication entitled Report on an unannounced inspection of HMYOI Wetherby by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (20 November – 7 December 2023), published on 5 March 2024, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of new inmates arriving after 8pm at HMYOI Wetherby.

The Youth Custody Service Placement Team endeavours to place every child who is sentenced to custody safely, appropriately, and swiftly. Each child’s placement is determined by the Placement Team following a thorough review of all evidence presented by the child’s Youth Offending Team. If all relevant information is available, the decision on placement can be taken quickly, but factors outside the team’s control – for example, if the child’s case is heard towards the end of the court day – can lead to late arrival in custody.

Some placements are at a significant distance from the court, though the effect of this is mitigated, as far as possible, by children being moved direct to the placement location. Additionally, there may be delays in escorting the child to the placement – stoppages caused by road traffic accidents, for example – which can be outside the control of the escort providers. We have robust contract management processes in place to ensure the performance of Prison Service Escort Contractors.