§ 12. Mr. Chris Mullin (Sunderland, South)What plans he has to expand provision for diverting vulnerable youths away from criminal activity; and if he will make a statement. [64356]
§ The Minister of State, Home Office (Mr. Paul Boateng)We are pursuing a wide-ranging programme to reform and speed up the youth justice system and to divert vulnerable young people away from crime. We are currently piloting a range of new measures stemming from the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, including the final 561 warning scheme, the child safety order and the parenting order, all of which are designed to help ensure early action when children and young people first offend or are at risk of offending.
§ Mr. MullinI am not talking of the measures under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998; I am talking about some of the very good schemes—such as one running in the Home Secretary's constituency—designed to provide young people who live in areas vulnerable to crime with constructive activities to prevent their involvement in crime in the first place. I want to be sure that that issue is now being taken seriously in the Home Office; that did not happen under the previous Government. Such an approach requires co-ordination with other Departments that have a part to play—such as the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.
§ Mr. BoatengI am happy to give my hon. Friend that assurance. The results of the scheme to which he refers, youth works, have been laudable, and that scheme is an example of the good practice that we want to be spread across the country. As my hon. Friend must be aware, we have established the Youth Justice Board, which has responsibility for developing similar initiatives. We have underpinned its work with more than £80 million so that progress may be made on that agenda. That is good news for young people and for society. We are determined to deliver on the agenda that includes effective diversion from crime.
§ Mr. Bob Russell (Colchester)I congratulate the Chairman of the Select Committee on Home Affairs, the hon. Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin), on his question.
What is happening about being tough on the causes of crime? What evidence is there that the Home Department is in discussion with other Departments to ensure that we have effective measures to prevent crime being committed in the first place?
§ Mr. BoatengI know that the hon. Gentleman takes an interest in this matter and he knows that we are working on the issue not only with the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions—with which we are making progress on a range of projects as a result of research and funding—but, importantly, with the Department of Health. As a result of the partnerships that are being established pursuant to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the youth offender teams, for the first time the Department of Health has an input at local level, through local health authorities and trusts. Evidence has shown that early intervention works, and we believe that our new investment in such schemes will deliver rich dividends.