Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Ministry of Justice

Oral Answers to Questions

Robert Courts Excerpts
Tuesday 9th October 2018

(5 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Rory Stewart Portrait Rory Stewart
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This is a serious issue, not only in England but in the devolved Administrations such as Scotland, where I saw very high levels of methadone prescription. I am happy to sit down with the hon. Lady to discuss the subject in more detail.

Robert Courts Portrait Robert Courts (Witney) (Con)
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What assurances can the Minister provide that the services provided by community rehabilitation companies are robustly monitored?

Rory Stewart Portrait Rory Stewart
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The best guarantee that these companies are performing is the action of Parliament and of the chief inspector of probation, to whom I pay tribute for her series of hard-hitting reports, most recently on domestic violence. As the Secretary of State has pointed out, we have seen a 2% reduction in reoffending. That has been driven by these companies and is to be welcomed, but there is of course much more to be done to protect the public.