HL Deb 29 April 2002 vol 634 cc452-5

2.49 p.m.

Lord Campbell of Croy

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they propose to offer to young offenders, as an alternative to community service, playing parts in special performances of Shakespeare's plays.

Lord Rooker

My Lords, we have introduced a range of community sentences for juveniles which provide individual programmes to tackle their offending behaviour and its causes. The arts can, and indeed do, play a valuable part. Youth offending teams across the country have successfully used music and drama, including Shakespeare, and other art forms. But we believe that these activities should remain available as part of an offending behaviour programme where appropriate and not become alternatives to them.

Lord Campbell of Croy

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply. Is he aware that schemes involving Shakespeare are already proving themselves in the United States? But would the Government approve of such a project here while not, of course, supporting any idea that the quality of mercy blesses him that takes as well as him that gives, or that "Once more unto the breach" might refer to prison walls?

Lord Rooker

My Lords, being only a simple engineer, and at the risk of upsetting people, I have to say that The Merchant of Venicei was the only piece of Shakespeare penance that I ever did at my old school, Handsworth Technical College. Therefore, there is a big gap in my cultural life, and I mean that.

However, I fully accept what the noble Lord said. This morning I asked my officials where they believed the noble Lord, Lord Campbell, was coming from. They told me that there had been a most interesting article in The Times of 15th April, which I read, giving information about what is happening in America. The article was incredibly positive and informative, and we shall certainly consider the issues that it raised. We are using art and sport, and not only in relation to those who have offended. It is very important that those who do not offend do not believe that they are being kept out of these programmes. That would send the wrong signals. The Youth Justice Board has a large programme, and youth offending teams across the country are making good use of such material.

This morning, I also discovered that there is such a thing as a Henry V leadership programme, which I understand is run by someone by the name of "Olivier". Indeed, Home Office officials have been sent on it.

Lord Clinton-Davis

My Lords, is there not one common theme in both the Question and the Answer: much ado about nothing?

Lord Addington

My Lords, if we are to use any form of art therapy or artistic or cultural activity in relation to young offenders, does the Minister agree that it is important to remember that good playwrights have existed in this country since the 17th century?

Lord Rooker

My Lords, indeed, they have. However, the nature of Shakespeare's language and the way in which people are able to describe events and convey violence through language rather than physically have proved to be beneficial both here and in the United States. Again, I refer noble Lords to the important piece in The Times. I believe it is important that people use both modern and what one might call "less modern" initiatives in both sport and art.

Baroness Buscombe

My Lords, is the Minister aware that a number of such initiatives are already taking place in prisons? For example, last summer Winchester Prison put on a most brilliant opera—"The Threepenny Opera".

Lord Rooker

My Lords, yes, indeed. One arts-based initiative—the London Shakespeare Workout—uses the language and themes of Shakespeare with professional theatrical performers to engage inmates, education staff and prison officers. Therefore, an enormous amount of such work is taking place now. It is not new. I believe that the noble Lord, Lord Campbell, has raised an important issue. It is not all about clamping people down; it is about opening people up and encouraging them to be positive, whether they have offended or not. This is an important issue to have been raised in the House.

Baroness Sharp of Guildford

My Lords, I am delighted that the Minister mentioned those who have not offended. Does he believe that enough is being done to promote youth services in this country? It is most important that young people partake in positive activities, but there has been a considerable run-down of youth activities, largely by local authorities.

Lord Rooker

My Lords, the noble Baroness is right. I highlight, for example, the Youth Justice Board. Its Splash schemes have been run in the school holidays since the summer of 2000. They have included more than 200 projects and have provided sports and arts activities for 20,000 13 to 17 year-olds in deprived areas of the country over a five-week period. In the scheme's first year, 2000, the total crime rate fell by 6 per cent in those areas compared with a national rise of 3.8 per cent. Therefore, an enormous amount of work is being done, and I do not believe that one should use such Questions simply to take a knock at local government.

Lord Carlisle of Bucklow

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the introduction of the community service order, which, I am happy to say, was introduced by a Conservative government in 1972, was one of the most imaginative and important changes to take place in penal policy? Faced today with a situation, such as we were faced with in 1971, of overcrowding in prisons, will the Minister say what steps this Government are taking to consider alternatives to prison?

Lord Rooker

My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Carlisle, is absolutely right. The total number of sentences received by juveniles—that is, young people between the ages of 10 and 17—in the year 2000 in England and Wales was 91,000. Community sentences accounted for 39 per cent of that number. There were probation orders and supervision orders, and community service orders made up 5.3 per cent of the grand total, which is very high. With attendance centre orders, combination orders, curfew orders, reparation orders, action plan orders, and drug treatment and testing orders, community sentencing forms 40 per cent. That is a considerable improvement on what went on in the past. We are always looking at other systems, and I believe that the work carried out by the Youth Justice Board during the short time that it has been in existence has made a considerable contribution.

Baroness Howells of St Davids

My Lords, is the Minister aware that Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal takes an active part in an organisation called Crime Concern, which works in the most deprived parts of Britain? Some of its resources come from the Youth Justice Board, but at present it is trying to increase its funding. Does my noble friend believe that he will be able to get the Home Office involved far more in such funding? Crime Concern works not only with young people who have not committed crimes; it also works with families in the most deprived areas. I am pleased to tell noble Lords that it is also getting young people to write their own plays about their lives and to act them out with others. They are highly supervised.

Lord Rooker

My Lords, I want to answer my noble friend's question about funding. It is a very sensitive matter at present. If I say that the Home Office does not have enough funds, that will be construed as an attack on the Treasury, which it is not. If I say that we have all that we need, we shall be told, "Well, you don't need any more", and our funding will be cut back. Therefore, I shall have to take away for consideration the suggestion about funding.

My noble friend is right about the amount of work that is taking place. Of course, the Home Office is also part of the regional government machinery. Together with the Home Office agencies, it works with people in the regions so as to be more in touch with what is going on on the ground. I believe that in that way it will also make an important contribution.

Lord Lucas

My Lords, will the noble Lord join me in celebrating the success of drama in prison and, in particular, that of Shakespeare in prison, which engages the most resistant learners? It brings them out of themselves and starts them on the path to learning. It has a long and successful history. Will he also celebrate the success of Shakespeare rather early in his time in writing in rap rhythm, which is extraordinarily helpful when one is trying to work in prisons?

Lord Rooker

My Lords, I am happy to support and agree with what the noble Lord said, but I shall certainly not get into Shakespeare and rap.