Answering a question in parliament, youth justice minister Jeremy Wright revealed that five young people under the age of 18 were “authorised to move” into the adult secure estate during 2011.
Figures for 2012 and details on the circumstances of the moves in 2011 were not provided.
However a Prison Service spokesman said the practice is usually only used if a young offender is behaving badly.
"In exceptional circumstances, any young person can be transferred to an adult prison before their eighteenth birthday,” the spokesman said.
“This will usually happen because a young person’s violent or disruptive behaviour presents an unacceptable risk to the welfare of other young people."
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