Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department has spent on (a) imprisonment and (b) rehabilitation of offenders under the age of 18 years in each of the last five years. [6500]

Mr Blunt MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice: The cost of custody for under-18s reflect the intensive, rehabilitative regime in the under 18 estate-including the delivery of specific rehabilitation activity, for example education and substance misuse programmes.

The figures in the following table taken from published Youth Justice Board annual reports show the cost of purchasing places and regimes for children and young people in the secure estate.

6 July 2010 : Column 170W

Cost (£ million)

2004-05    245.804

2005-06    280.801

2006-07    279.148

2007-08    305.711

2008-09    297.952

All services commissioned or delivered by Youth Offending Teams (YOTs) to young people within the criminal justice system are intended to rehabilitate them and address the causes of their offending behaviour.

The figures in the following table taken from published YJB annual reports show that it allocated the following funding to YOTs for the delivery of such services to 10 to 17-year-olds within the criminal justice system.

Allocated funding (£ million)

2004-05    94.410

2005-06    104.993

2006-07    113.698

2007-08    114.856

2008-09    117.310

The Youth Offending Teams also receive financial contributions from local police, probation and health services; from the local authority; and from the Welsh Assembly Government where appropriate.