Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Bill [HL]

I wish to speak to Amendment No. 103 in this group. We touched on the spirit of this amendment in our debate on direct payments. In principle, the amendment goes hand in hand with the other amendments to this clause, and I support the intentions behind them wholeheartedly. The amendment addresses a difficult area in this clause. Some noble Lords might not place the welfare of convicted criminals very highly on a priority list but, in this case, we are not necessarily discussing hardened criminals but young adults and offenders with special needs who are detained in custody. The second joint chief inspectors’ report on arrangements to safeguard children has a wealth of information on this subject. It covers both the needs of children in custody and those of young people. The report notes that children and young people who commit offences present particular challenges for safeguarding. The statistics surrounding young people in custody speak volumes. The number of young people in prison has increased by 66 per cent in the past five years, raising the number of young people in prison to more than 11,000. Of those 11,000, more than 70 per cent will suffer from two or more mental disorders, compared with 5 per cent of the population. Reconviction rates are extremely high for young prisoners. More than 80 per cent of male prisoners aged under 21 who were discharged from prison in 1997 were reconvicted within two years, compared with 58 per cent of adult males. Statistically, young adults held on remand are by definition vulnerable, yet the Bill turns a blind eye to their vulnerability. The second chief inspector’s report highlights positive practice in the probation services, such as the strong relationship between the North Tyneside youth offending team and local social services, but the report found that one third of the required paperwork between agencies had not been completed when young people are subjected to remand, and some examples of young people remanded in custody who remained there until sentence, with no input from the youth offending team. This is a perfect opportunity to address what has been a somewhat sidelined issue. We can start with this amendment, which would ensure that young adults in the probation system receive a duty of care equal to their peers outside the service. It is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate a commitment to the achievements of the Youth Justice Board in giving:"““greater emphasis to reducing crime through early intervention””," and by ensuring, as far the Bill allows, that offences of abuse are prevented in all possible ways.