Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders under the age of 18 were held in the adult secure estate in (a) 2010, (b) 2011, (c) 2012 and (d) 2013.

The Youth Justice Board commissions a distinct secure estate in which children and young people under the age of 18 are placed. Under-18s will only ever be placed in the adult estate in exceptional circumstances, after a thorough risk assessment, and when it is in the best interests of the young person concerned.

Information on the number of young people aged under-18 years who were authorised to move into the over-18 estate between 2010 and 2013 is set out in the following table.