Lord Ponsonby of Shulbrede

The department welcomes the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory’s report ‘What do we know about children and young people deprived of their liberty in England and Wales’, and recognises the growing concerns regarding deprivation of liberty (DoL) cases. Children and young people deprived of their liberty are some of the most vulnerable children in society.

The newly launched National DoLs Court has helped the judiciary and the government gain more robust data and a greater understanding of this cohort of children who are often the subject of DoL proceedings, which requires a cross-system response.

The department accepts that there is a need for more robust data and will be meeting with the Ministry of Justice, HM Courts and Tribunals Services, and Nuffield to discuss their recommendations. Officials are meeting with Nuffield on 19 April. As data collection continues, we will be able to better understand the number of children placed in different settings, their characteristics, experiences and outcomes.

The department does not collect information from the National Deprivation of Liberty Court on the number or characteristics of children subject to a Deprivation of Liberty Order.

The Nuffield Family Justice Observatory are collecting data from the national court over a pilot period and publishing monthly to improve our understanding of the cases that are being heard by the court. Further information can be accessed here: https://www.nuffieldfjo.org.uk/news/nuffield-family-justice-observatory-to-monitor-data-from-new-national-dols-deprivation-of-liberty-court.

It is important to note that a setting that provides care and accommodation is subject to regulation and must be registered as a children’s home. Where a deprivation of liberty order involves a setting that is not registered as a children's home, guidance issued by the President of the Family Division is clear that an application to register the provision with Ofsted must be made within seven working days from the date of the deprivation of liberty order. Further information can be accessed here: https://www.judiciary.uk/guidance-and-resources/addendum-to-practice-guidance-placements-in-unregistered-childrens-homes-in-england-or-unregistered-care-home-services-in-wales/.

In England, the statutory responsibility for ensuring a looked-after child or young person is in the appropriate placement rests with local authorities, as they are best placed to understand the specific needs of individual children in their care. Local authorities have a duty to ensure sufficient appropriate provision for all the children they look after.

The department recognises that some local authorities sometimes find it difficult accessing the most appropriate accommodation, particularly for children with the most complex needs, and that children are sometimes placed in locations away from home, when they may be better served by a placement in their local area, if available.

The department is taking significant steps to support local authorities to fulfil their statutory duties. Between now and 2025, £259 million will be made available to develop and expand the provision of both secure and open homes, to reduce out of area placements, to provide for children with complex needs, and to promote innovative practice to maintain placement stability.

Furthermore, Ofsted has recently taken steps to make the process of registration more straightforward to support local authorities in increasing the placement options available to them. Ofsted has also issued guidance on registering a multi-building children's home, enabling a home to accommodate up to six children in up to four buildings, within one single registration.

As a matter of long-standing Government policy, we do not comment on whether an extradition request has been made or received.

However, I can confirm that the UK makes every attempt to respond as fully as possible to requests for assurances in relation to matters such as those referenced by the Noble Lord when such requests are received in relation to extradition requests made to other countries.

The Home Office has had no discussions with the Northern Ireland Executive on the creation of a statutory defence for victims of modern slavery or trafficking who have committed an offence.

The published impact assessment outlines the cost and impact on prison places of these reforms. The £32 million refers to the average annual cost of the reforms over the next 10 years (excluding transition costs). The bulk of this cost (£28.7 million) is attributed to the additional prison places required – the actual increase in costs to the Parole Board is expected to average £0.7 million over the next 10 years. However, it is important to note that these figures are averages and will not be this high immediately as the number of additional prison places required will increase gradually until the reforms reach ‘’steady state’’, which is expected to be more than 10 years away. No further funding has been allocated in this spending review period; any further funding expenditure will be determined at future spending reviews.

The impact assessment can be accessed here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/58-03/0286/VictimsandPrisonersBillParoleImpact_Assessment_March23.pdf.

The Victims and Prisoners Bill has not yet reached Report stage in the House of Commons, meaning it is not in the final form in which it will be introduced to the House of Lords. I look forward to debating this Bill with the Noble Lord and others shortly once it has reached the House of Lords in the form approved by the House of Commons.

The Victims and Prisoners Bill has not yet reached Report stage in the House of Commons, meaning it is not in the final form in which it will be introduced to the House of Lords. I look forward to debating this Bill with the Noble Lord and others shortly once it has reached the House of Lords in the form approved by the House of Commons.

The Victims and Prisoners Bill has not yet reached Report stage in the House of Commons, meaning it is not in the final form in which it will be introduced to the House of Lords. I look forward to debating this Bill with the Noble Lord and others shortly once it has reached the House of Lords in the form approved by the House of Commons.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) are committed to making changes to internal case management systems to enable the routine publishing of data relating to applications to deprive children of their liberty under the inherent jurisdiction of the court, taking consideration of the data-related recommendations made within the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory report.

HMCTS are working with the Department of Education and the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory on how the current data can continue to be made available whilst the necessary changes are made to the case management systems.