Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his Department's policy is on the length of time children in secure custody should spend in their cells per day.

Children’s experiences in custody should be rehabilitative, aiming to prevent and reduce future offending and crime. They should spend as long as possible out of their rooms engaged in purposeful activities, such as education, training and physical activity for this reason. This must be balanced with managing the risks to safety and good order and, most recently, the significant challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.