Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of children and young people in custody on the prison estate.

The principal aim of the youth justice system is to prevent offending by children and young people. Since the peak in youth proven offending in 2006/07, the average number of under-18s in youth custody has decreased by 70% from 2,915 to 869 in 2016/17.

The sentencing framework for young people provides for robust alternatives to custody in the form of community-based sentences: referral orders and youth rehabilitation orders (including youth rehabilitation orders with intensive supervision and surveillance). Custody should always be a measure of last resort and be the shortest term commensurate with the seriousness of the offence. The main custodial sentence for children and young people, the Detention and Training Order, is not available for children under 12 years old and any case that warrants one of less than four months must result in a non‑custodial sentence.