National Preventive Mechanism Tenth Annual Report 2018–19 Ofsted and inspected as 16–19 academies. The Scottish Government introduced legislation with the intention of raising the age of criminal responsibility to 12 years old.36 In November 2018, the Government commissioned HM Chief Inspector of Scottish Prisons to investigate the provision of mental health services for young people entering and in custody at HMP YOI Polmont, following the deaths of two individuals.37 At the Government’s request, the review was led by the Chief Inspector with a health care professional with relevant experience and other agencies.38 More broadly, the Government announced the creation of a Child and Young Persons’ Mental Health Taskforce and a Youth Commission for mental health services. Police custody In summer 2018, ICVA worked with the College of Policing to update professional practice guidance for police detention and custody in England and Wales around menstrual protection for women and girls. The guidance now says that female detainees should be advised that: they can speak to a female officer in private; security camera footage of toilet areas is pixelated; hand washing and shower facilities are available on request; if they require or are likely to require any menstrual products while they are in police custody they will be provided free of charge, including any replacements. ICVA was also instrumental in securing the agreement of the Home Office to change legislation under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) to require police forces to respect the dignity of female detainees and deliver appropriate care to menstruating detainees.39 Police Service Northern Ireland's three-year estate strategy will result in police station closures, 12 of which have already occurred. However, there was ongoing transformation of police custody health care, with the aim of developing and implementing a multidisciplinary, patient-focused model, with an embedded nursing service, in collaboration with the Public Health Agency (PHA), Departments of Health and Justice and Health and Social Care Trusts (HSCT). The Scottish Human Rights Commission (SHRC) expressed significant concerns about the human rights implications of the proposed police use of digital device triage systems, and gave evidence to the Scottish Parliament on two occasions.40 These 36 This received Royal Assent in June 2019, outside the reporting period. 37 The resulting report was published in May 2019, outside the reporting period. See HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland, May 2019, Report on Expert Review of Provision of Mental Health Services at HMP YOI Polmont, https://www. prisonsinspectoratescotland.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publication_files/Report%20on%20Expert%20Review%20of%20 Provision%20of%20Mental%20Health%20Services%20at%20HMP%20YOI%20Polmont%20-%20Final%20Version.pdf [accessed 05/12/19] 38 HM Inspectorate of Prisons for Scotland, August 2019, Annual Report 2018-19, https://www.prisonsinspectoratescotland. gov.uk/sites/default/files/publication_files/Annual%20report.pdf [accessed 05/12/19] 39 Independent Custody Visiting Association, August 2018, ICVA Welcomes Increased Dignity for Female Detainees, Press Release, https://icva.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/2018.08.21-Menstruation-ICVA-Press-Release.pdf [accessed 05/12/19]; HM Government, August 2019, Guide to the 2019 revisions to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE), https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/826408/2019_Guide-to-2019Revised-CodesC_H.pdf [accessed 05/12/19] 40 Scottish Parliament, September 2018, Justice Sub-Committee on Policing Scottish Parliament Session 5, http://www. parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=11670&mode=pdf [accessed 05/12/19]; Scottish Parliament, November 2018, Justice Sub-Committee on Policing Scottish Parliament Session 5, http://www.parliament.scot/ parliamentarybusiness/report.aspx?r=11785&mode=pdf [accessed 05/12/19] 22