Commentary on Sections Part 9: Sanctions Etc. Section 90: Report by local authority in certain cases where person remanded on bail
182.This section inserts a provision into the Children and Young Person Act 1969 following section 23A. Section 23A provides that where a court does not grant bail, remands and committals of a child or young person charged with or convicted of an offence must be to local authority accommodation.
183.Section 23(4) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 gives the court the power to impose a security requirement when remanding a child to local authority accommodation. However, by section 23(5) of the Children and Young Persons Act 1969 the court may not impose a security requirement in respect of a child who has not reached the age of 12.
184.This provision is designed for serious or persistent 10 and 11 year old young offenders in cases where the court might have considered remanding a child to secure accommodation if they were aged 12 or over. The provision of a report by the local authority will enable the court to be aware where the child would be placed if the court decided to remand the child to local authority accommodation. In particular this would allow the court to see if the local authority would use their discretion to send the child home. If the court was satisfied with the local authority’s initial report, it could, either remand the child into local authority accommodation if it thought that this placement would be best for the child’s welfare, or continue bail if it was satisfied that there were no difficulties with the child remaining with his parents. If the court was not satisfied with the local authority’s initial report, it could then direct the local authority to make investigations under section 9 Children and Young Persons Act 1969. The results of any such investigations would be taken into account at the sentencing stage.
185.Subsection (6) allows the Secretary of State to extend this provision by order to 12-16 year olds who met the criteria for a secure remand, and whose behaviour was due, to a significant extent, to their home circumstances.