Welcome end to children in adult prisons - Brooke

11.58.22am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 20th Dec 2006

Responding to the announcement that the Government plans to end the imprisonment of children with adults, Annette Brooke Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Children, Young People and Families, said:

"This is a very welcome step in the right direction. Young people who come into conflict with the law need services which respond to their needs and help put them on the right track. As long as children can be imprisoned in adult facilities their rehabilitation will surely be at risk."

The Government plans were announced on Monday to withdraw one of its reservations to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. At present the reservation is used to justify placing children in adult prisons.

The Government has yet to move on its reservation on immigration and nationality which denies children who are seeking asylum full protection under the UN Convention.

The Liberal Democrats have continued to put pressure on the Government to remove these two reservations, echoing the concerns of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Annette Brooke commented:

"If the Government wants to show that 'Every Child Matters' they must remove the reservation on immigration and nationality immediately. The current state of affairs means that children who are trafficked into the country are not assured the full protection of the UN Convention.

"Children who have to cross the border into our country deserve our protection."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

European standing Committee

18th December 2006

EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child

Hansard, Column number: 22

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmgeneral/euro/061218/61218s01.htm

Bill Rammell: "… I can put a more encouraging emphasis on what we are doing about article 37, which says that children should not be imprisoned with adults. Until now, lack of secure accommodation has led the UK to reserve the right to hold some young people in adult prisons. However, the Home Office can now remove that reservation, which it plans to do by the summer of 2007…"

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COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

Thirty-first session

CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES

UNDER ARTICLE 44 OF THE CONVENTION

Concluding observations: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

9th October 2002

CRC/C/15/Add.188, pp. 2-3

Reservations and declarations

6. While welcoming the State party's withdrawal of its reservations made to articles 37 (d) and 32, the Committee remains concerned that the State party does not intend to withdraw its wide-ranging reservation on immigration and citizenship, which is against the object and purpose of the Convention. In addition, the Committee is concerned that the State party is not in a position to withdraw its reservation to article 37 (c) owing to the fact that children are still detained with adults in the State party. In that regard, the Committee is concerned that, while the State party has made efforts to reduce the number of children detained with adults, it appears that only resource considerations now prevent the withdrawal of the reservation.

7. The Committee, in line with its previous recommendation (CRC/C/15/Add.34,

paras. 22 and 29), and in light of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, recommends that the State party take all necessary measures to end the detention of

children in the same facilities as adults and to withdraw its reservation to article 37 (c).The Committee also recommends that the State party reconsider its reservation to article 22 with a view to withdrawing it. given the State party's observation that this reservation is formally unnecessary because the State party's law is in accordance with article 22 of the Convention.