Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to tackle youth offending.

The government is committed to tackling youth offending, protecting the public and helping young people turn around their lives. In 2020/21, 15,800 children were cautioned or sentenced, a 17% decrease on the previous year and an 82% decrease over the previous ten years.

In 2021/22, we invested £81.9 million in local authority youth offending teams, a £7 million (9%) increase in comparison to the year before to ensure that they can continue to tackle youth offending and reoffending.

Furthermore, through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022, we legislated to ensure that those young offenders who commit the most serious offences remain in prison for a period that reflects the seriousness of their offending.