New Clause 2 - PENAL CUSTODY FOR CHILDREN
Police and Justice Bill
5:15 pm
Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin, Conservative)
I am grateful to the shadow Minister for giving way. I have a point about children in care, which is a slight deviation, but hopefully a helpful one.
Does the hon. Lady agree that, although these measures are dealing with the end problem, it would be better to deal with children in care by ensuring that social services monitor their education, so that they do not leave school without qualifications and become encouraged, through their circumstances, to enter into a life of crime? We should be helping such children while they are in care, many of whom have good intellects and skills; in fact, they all have skills—just different ones. We should be addressing the front end, not just the outputs.