Children: Care Homes

David Howarth
To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what factors he took into account in making the recent decision to decommission beds at local authority secure children's homes.

Beverley Hughes
The secure children's homes contract decisions followed a joint tendering exercise by the Youth Justice Board and the Department for Children Schools and Families. New contracts were offered to nine homes following a detailed evaluation, consisting of an assessment of the quality of the bids received and a financial assessment, based on the submitted prices. The required number of beds in each region, value for money, and overall affordability were factors in the decision-making process.