§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to pursue alternatives to prison as recommended by the May committee.
§ Mr. BrittanWe intend to make every effort to improve and develop the range of non-custodial alternatives to prison. In particular, we are arranging for new284W senior attendance centres to be opened for young adult offenders and we are consulting the probation service about how greater use could be made of the probation order as an alternative to custody.
§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
§ Mr. BrittanI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to a question by the hon. Member for Dearne Valley (Mr. Wainwright) on 9 November.—[Vol. 973, c.335].