Secure 16 to 19 Academies Bill

Third Reading

Motion

Moved by

That the Bill do now pass.

My Lords, I intend to say only a few words on the Motion to thank those who have been closely involved with this Bill as it passed through Parliament. I start with my honourable friend Emma Foody, Member of Parliament for Cramlington and Killingworth, who carefully guided this Bill through the other place. I also thank my noble friend Lady Levitt, the Minister, for her assistance, and of course her officials and others at the Ministry of Justice who have made this task easier. I also thank all noble Lords who spoke at Second Reading of the Bill in this House, and the Front Benches of all parties who have given the Bill the support it needed to become law.

In short, this Bill will allow us to continue to transform how we detain children and young people in custody by delivering education and intensive support in secure schools. The Bill, and the establishment of secure schools within the custodial estate, has had support around the House, and represents, I believe, a pivotal step in reducing offending for some of our most vulnerable children and young people. I am delighted, as I hope the House is, that it will soon be on the statute book. I beg to move.

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Bach, for his efforts to take this Bill through your Lordships’ House and for his past work on the Bach commission, which strove to improve the legal aid situation within the UK justice system. As I outlined at Second Reading, secure 16 to 19 academies were conceptualised in Charlie Taylor’s review of the youth justice system, published in 2016, then agreed on and adopted by His Majesty’s loyal Opposition when we were in government. They will now be made more practicable and effective as a result of this Bill.

Secure schools are an idea founded on the principle of rehabilitative justice for our youth with a vision of improving behaviour, mental health and educational attainment. The nature of this aim means that every offender who enters a secure academy will have different requirements, and the academies must therefore be both flexible and adaptable. The Bill reduces expenditure funding for the academies from a seven-year to a two-year horizon. It removes the requirement that the Secretary of State must take into account local schools before accepting the academy, as pupil intake will largely not, if at all, overlap. Finally, it requires a consultation with local partners instead of local schools, bringing process in line with purpose.

It is in everyone’s interests that secure academies work. Young offenders will be given a second chance and, with a fair wind, they will join the workforce and have every chance to succeed. That is why, when in government, we supported the proposals and why we continue to do so now. We need more secure academies and this Bill will help deliver that goal.

My Lords, I am very pleased to speak at the Third Reading of this Private Member’s Bill. I, too, start with thanks—to my noble friend Lord Bach for steering this small but important Bill through the House and to Emma Foody MP for guiding it through the other place. The secure school model has been developed in accordance with the best available evidence for what works in addressing the underlying causes of youth offending, offering children small and homely environments with healthcare and education at their heart. Importantly, secure schools will allow children in custody to gain skills and qualifications, supporting them to return to the community and lead successful and crime-free lives. In turn, this will protect the public from these children reoffending in the future. The Bill will help us achieve this aim, and I am pleased to see the support that it has had from across your Lordships’ House.

My Lords, I thank the noble Earl for what he said and, of course, my noble friend the Minister. I do not need to say anything more.

Bill passed.