§ 17. Angela Smith (Basildon)When pilot areas for youth offending teams will be selected. [40279]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Alun Michael)I am delighted to say that we have received 46 expressions of interest, from which we will shortly select eight areas to pilot the new youth justice measures, which are contained in the Crime and Disorder Bill. The youth offending teams will be piloted in each of those areas.
§ Angela SmithI thank my hon. Friend for that answer. Is he aware that his decision will be welcomed by local authorities, given that the role of the youth offending teams will complement the roles now played by local authorities in terms of community safety? When the pilot areas are announced, will guidelines be issued to them to ensure that those involved work closely with local authorities?
§ Mr. MichaelYes, indeed. I am aware of the enthusiasm among local authorities. The enthusiasm of local authorities and the police for the proposals in the Crime and Disorder Bill is striking. The requirement to undertake a crime and disorder audit and create a partnership to tackle crime and disorder in every part of the country is widely welcomed, and will fit well with the youth offending teams in the strategy to reduce youth crime.
§ Mr. James Clappison (Hertsmere)Will not the work of the youth offending teams be completely undermined by the dishonesty of the sentencing system, which means that a sentence of six months' imprisonment means only six weeks inside? Is not what the Home Secretary has just said about giving prisoners the opportunity to prepare themselves for release extraordinary when we bear in mind the fact that prisoners are released after serving only half their sentence? Is that not long enough for the Home Secretary? Is not the message that the Government are sending out that sentences do not mean what they say and that, under new Labour, "If you do the crime, you won't get the time"?
§ Mr. MichaelThe answer to the hon. Gentleman's question is no. It was a singularly unintelligent question, because he failed to listen to my right hon. Friend's answer. We are saying that we need to manage the transition from prison back into the community in such a way that people do not take up the pattern of crime in which they were indulging previously. The Conservative Government signally failed to deal with that issue. The hon. Gentleman has failed to address the points made by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and the subject of the question, which are that the Government are tackling youth offending while the Conservative Government did not do so for more than 18 years.
§ Mr. Phil Sawford (Kettering)Does my hon. Friend agree that it is a bit rich for the Conservative party to criticise sentencing procedures when only one in 50 crimes resulted in convictions during the time the Conservatives were in office? It is not good enough to criticise our record, when we are taking up the entire issue of youth crime through the Crime and Disorder Bill.
§ Mr. MichaelFrankly, Conservative Members are undergoing a probationary period as an Opposition. They are not doing very well so far—they need more supervision—but the transition from government to opposition does not seem to suit them. We are dealing with the issues that have been left untouched for so many years.