2nd Special Report - Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre: Government Response to the Committee’s Second Report of 2021–22

This is the government's response, published 19 July 2021.

Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.

The government explains why the Rainsbrook contract extension was activated and says the future of the centre is under consideration, with an announcement "in due course".

• On the extension decision, it says approvals for a potential seven-year contract were already in place, and that performance at the time was "not giving rise to the serious performance concerns which arose much later in 2020".
• It says financial sanctions and the one Improvement Notice then in place were considered, but that the extension "was crucial to maintaining operating stability and capacity across the youth secure estate". It defines 'significant failings' as relating to "serious concerns around child wellbeing and safety".
• On ministerial involvement, it states that "ministerial approval not required for routine extensions of existing contracts", and says the extension followed internal MOJ governance processes.
• On costs, it says there was "no additional cost outside of the initially agreed terms", with the extension costing up to approximately £27.8m over two years. It is "unable to say what the specific termination costs will be" and will write to the Committee once a decision on the centre is made.

Read the government's response ↗ Report an error