HC Deb 16 March 1998 vol 308 cc513-4W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase resources for the treatment of sex offenders after they leave prison. [34039]

Ms Quin

The resources needed for the supervision of sex offenders in the community following release from prison will be determined after the comprehensive spending reviews have been completed. I cannot anticipate the outcome, although it is relevant that the provisions in the Crime and Disorder Bill for the extended supervision of sexual and violent offenders following release are estimated to generate long run net additional costs of £20 million a year.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the advantages of disclosing information about sex offenders who have been released. [34038]

Mr. Michael

When we implemented the Sex Offenders Act 1997, serious consideration was given to how information on sex offenders should be disclosed and in what circumstances. The general presumption that personal information should not be disclosed may be over-ridden, for the protection of children and vulnerable adults. We concluded that this should be judged on a case by case basis based on the risk posed by any individual. Guidance on the Sex Offenders Act issued last summer made clear that a risk assessment should be undertaken by the police, probation service and other child protection agencies. More detailed inter-agency guidance will be issued in due course in the light of experience since we implemented the Act.