§ 2.45 p.m.
§ BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGERMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Second Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps have been taken to implement the recommendation in paragraph 305 of the Report of the Streat-feild Committee on the Business of the Criminal Courts that those who have passed sentence on an offender should be able to obtain from a central authority periodical reports on his progress.]
890§ THE MINISTER OF STATE, HOME OFFICE (LORD DERWENT)My Lords, assizes and quarter sessions were informed in June, 1963, that the Home Office would on request supply progress reports in cases possessing some special feature. My right honourable friend now proposes to extend this facility to any case at assizes and quarter sessions where a request is made. He will review the situation in due course to see whether the facility can be further extended.
§ BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGERMy Lords, will the noble Lord have in mind the possibility of extending this facility to magistrates' courts, who deal with by far the greater part of offences against the criminal law, and who act entirely in the dark as to the result of their actions?
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, I am aware that the noble Lady wants this facility extended to magistrates' courts. We should like first of all to extend it to all cases in assizes and quarter sessions; and having done that, if we find we are not completely overwhelmed with requests for information we will extend it then to magistrates' courts. But I think it is necessary, for purely administrative reasons, to take this a step at a time.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, when the noble Lord says that the principle is to be extended to assizes, does he mean that the report will go to the individual judge? Of course, the judge who sentences the man may not appear at the assizes at a later date, and it is really he who wants to know what happened.
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, I am afraid that I have not quite followed the point of the noble Lord's question. At the moment, inquiries can be made by those sentencing in special cases, when they are assizes or quarter sessions cases. A judge will now be able to ask for reports in any case.
§ LORD OGMOREWhat I am saying is that, when the noble Lord talks about its being made available at assizes, does he mean it will be made to the individual judge who sentenced the offender rather than to the court itself? Because the particular judge, unlike those at quarter sessions or magistrates, may not go back to that particular assizes again.
§ LORD DERWENTThat is, of course, true, my Lords.
§ BARONESS WOOTTON OF ABINGERMy Lords, will the noble Lord consider making available to Parliament, after a suitable period, a report on the extent of the use which is made of this new facility?
§ LORD DERWENTYes, my Lords. I know that the noble Lady puts down a Question every so often on this matter, and perhaps she would wait another few months and put down another Question. Then if there is any more information I can give her, I will give it.
LORD REAMy Lords, can the Minister say who will take the decision whether a case is a special case or not? Will it be the Home Office?
§ LORD DERWENTMy Lords, the facility is no longer going to be available only in special cases; it will be available in all cases at assizes and quarter sessions.