§ Mrs. Curtis-Thomas:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on performance against the 71 day target for dealing with persistent young offenders. [128717]
§ Paul Goggins:The average time from arrest to sentence for persistent young offenders (PYOs) in England and Wales was 64 days for the second quarter of 2002—the eighth consecutive quarter at or below the 71 day target.
This is an excellent achievement by all the Criminal Justice Agencies. It is a vital part of the Government's reforms that people should have confidence in the Criminal Justice System, and the Government are very pleased that the target is being met so.
§ Mr. Rosindell:To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the funding given to the initiatives in the London Borough of Havering to discourage young offenders from re-offending. [128381]
§ Paul Goggins:The Havering Youth Offending Team (YOT) budget for 2003–04 which has been proposed to the Borough Council is £792,315. This covers a wide range of work with juvenile offenders including community supervision and interventions designed to prevent re-offending. The local Probation Service carries out similar work with some juveniles and with young adult offenders.