§ Mr. ButlerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what stricter elements he will be introducing into community service orders; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenWe introduced the National Standards for Community Service Orders on 1 April 1989. These were designed to ensure that offenders in all areas do work which is demanding and seen to be of use to the community and that the discipline of the order is maintained. The White Paper "Crime, Justice and Protecting the Public" contains proposals for combining community service and probation orders, and for requiring offenders on community service to report to their supervisor at any time when the supervisor considers this necessary to secure compliance with the order.