Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help keep vulnerable young people away from (a) crime and (b) antisocial behaviour.

As highlighted in the Beating Crime Plan 2021, it is paramount that we intervene with children before they become involved in crime and antisocial behaviour, which has a detrimental impact on communities. That is why my department has launched two early intervention programmes which provide support to vulnerable children. Turnaround is a targeted programme, funding 153 Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) across England and Wales to complete early intervention and diversion work with children on the cusp of the justice system. YOTs are funded to put in place a package of support that addresses children’s underlying needs, working with partners such as police and community safety teams, aiming to address the causes of behaviour to stop it escalating. The eligibility criteria include children who have been issued civil orders and Acceptable Behaviour Contracts for antisocial behaviour.

The Department has also recently launched the Youth Justice Sport Fund which funds voluntary and community sector organisations to carry out targeted work supporting children considered to be vulnerable to involvement in crime, using sport as a vehicle to address problem behaviour.

We are also working closely with other Government departments, particularly the Department for Education and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to shape wider social policies to ensure vulnerable children and families are supported.