Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when responsibility for secure institutions for children, including approved schools, transferred away from the Home Office to other Government departments; and to which other departments and bodies that responsibility was transferred.

On 29 March 2007 in a Written Ministerial Statement the Prime Minister announced a Machinery of Government Change whereby the transfer of a number of policy areas would take place from the Home Office to a new Ministry of Justice. This included the transfer of the National Offender Management Service, including the Prison and Probation Services, on 9th May 2007. Incorporated in this change was the policy relating to the secure estate for young offenders.

Section 46 of the Children and Young Persons act 1969 contains provision for the cessation of approved schools as a consequence of the establishment of community homes. The responsibility for approved schools was transferred to the Department of Health and Social Security in 1971 and, in 1973, under a number of orders made under powers in section 46 above approved schools ceased to operate in 1973.