Oral Answers to Questions

Laura Sandys Excerpts

Tuesday 21st May 2013 Commons Chamber

[Chris Grayling]

There are of course a smaller number of women’s prisons, but it is our intention to have the same geographic links between detention and release for women as well.

[Laura Sandys (South Thanet) (Con)]

13. What recent progress he has made on reform of the probation system.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Jeremy Wright)]

As my hon. Friend knows, on 9 May we published our strategy for transforming rehabilitation. The reforms we set out in that strategy will see new market providers delivering rehabilitation services alongside a single national probation service from autumn 2014.

[Laura Sandys]

As the Minister knows, there is great concern in the North Thanet and South Thanet constituencies about people on probation being located next door to vulnerable people, and also people with criminal backgrounds. Is this the right location? Should there be more risk assessment of where people on probation are relocated with their rehabilitation programmes?

[Jeremy Wright]

My hon. Friend knows that risk assessment is always taking place, and it is important that it does so. She knows also that we are looking carefully at the specific circumstances that she raises in the area that she represents, and we will come back to her as soon as we can draw some firmer conclusions.