Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times children under the age of 18 have been re-categorised and transferred to adult prisons in the last year for which figures are available.

It is not usual practice for young people under the age of 18 to be re-categorised and transferred to the adult estate. In exceptional circumstances, a young person can be moved to the adult estate prior to reaching 18 years of age due to violent or disruptive behaviour which is putting other young people and/or staff at risk. Such moves are extremely rare and take place in line with an agreed approval process which requires sign-off by both the Chief Executive of the Youth Justice Board and the Deputy Director of Custody Young People’s Estate.

In the last year, one young person under the age of 18 was moved to a Young Offender Institution accommodating young adults aged 18 to 21.