Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of trends in the levels of reoffending rates of children released from custodial establishments over the last 10 years.

The average number of children in custody has fallen by 73% between 2010/11 and 2020/21 and their reoffending rate fell from 73.8% to 65.2% between 2008 and 2018 (most recent data).

Many of the children sentenced to custody have committed very serious crimes. However, they are also often very vulnerable, with complex needs, and require significant levels of support to enable them to positive, crime-free lives. The government is determined to reduce their reoffending further. We are providing all prison officers in the youth estate with the opportunity to receive a degree-level qualification to become youth justice specialists; in partnership with the NHS, we are rolling out a new approach to care that provides children in custody with greater psychological support; and we are trialling secure schools, a new form of youth custody that puts education and healthcare at the centre of the custodial experience for children.