Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Damian Hinds and Chris Philp

Tuesday 16th March 2021 Commons Chamber

[Chris Philp]

I understand that Scotland has the highest rate of imprisonment of any country in western Europe, so I find the question slightly surprising. However, we do accept that, particularly for less serious offences, community sentences have a role to play in rehabilitating. That is why we are keen to expedite the roll-out of community sentence treatment requirements, whereby if someone has a mental health problem, a drug addiction problem or an alcohol problem, we treat that as a health problem as an alternative to short custody. That is being rolled out.

[Damian Hinds (East Hampshire) (Con)]

What plans he has to reduce the rate of reoffending.