Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Action Plan: Outcomes for Young Adults in Custody, published on 20 January 2021, what progress has been made on the preparation of a national Young Adults Strategy; and when he plans for that strategy to be published.

Following the publication of the Action Plan: Outcomes for Young Adults in Custody in April 2021, a project team has been established to identify existing good practice from the prison estate to develop a national strategy for Young Adults (aged 18-25). This will support the existing Model for Operational Delivery for young adults.

Nine pilot sites have been selected to develop approaches to improve their offer for young adults. The evaluation of these approaches will aid the development of the strategy moving forward.

There are no current plans for the strategy to be published as it is intended as operational guidance to help staff working with young adults in prisons.