Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of self-harm and self-inflicted deaths among young people in custody.

The safety and welfare of young people in custody is vital and we are clear that reducing the level of self-inflicted deaths is of utmost importance.

We have improved the assessment of young people’s risks and needs when they enter custody. We have also improved the specifications for Secure Training Centre and Young Offender Institutions (YOIs) to place an increased emphasis on the management of self-harm and suicide including ensuring the appropriate skills and training of staff are in place to meet the needs of young people.

In YOIs we have introduced new psychological services to better inform risk management and support those detained.