I beg to move amendment No. 30, in clause 13, page 10, line 20, at end add—

‘(4) The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 (c.47) is amended as follows.

(5) After paragraph 3(1)(g) of Schedule 4 there is inserted—

“(h) contracted out prisons”.’.

This, too, is a probing amendment. It is needed to ensure that those working in contracted-out prisons and secure training centres who undertake activities relating to children receive adequate and appropriate training in working with children and young people, and that they are subject to the relevant requirements of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.

No doubt the Minister will seek to reassure me about this, but clause 13 gives auxiliary staff working in privately contracted-out prisons, including privately run young offender institutions and secure training centres, the power to carry out tasks equivalent to those now exercised by operational support grades in public prisons. That includes performing custodial duties and searching prisoners, although the use of force is not permitted in carrying out those activities.

There are no explicit child safety protection and welfare safeguards within the measures, and there is no mention of training that staff might receive prior to working with children or of any vetting process that they might undergo before they are allowed to do so. My concern is that that might demonstrate a lack of foresight and care on the part of Government in relation to the protection of the most vulnerable in our society.

My final point is that the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 prevents people on the barred list—including list 99 for teachers, the Protection of Children Act 1999 list for those working in childcare settings and a new list of people barred from working with vulnerable adults—from working in establishments in which they would come into close   contact with children. Once again, we are seeking reassurances that there will be an appropriate belt-and-braces approach to the important consideration of safeguarding children and vulnerable groups. In the spirit in which I moved the last amendment, I look forward to hearing the Minister’s response on this matter.