Intermediate Treatment Provisions

HC Deb 11 January 1988 vol 125 c150W

Mr. Worthington

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he plans to extend intermediate treatment provisions for over 18s in Scotland.

Mr. Michael Forsyth

The equivalent to many of the services provided for those under 18 and described as "intermediate treatment" is available to offenders over the age of 18. These include supported accommodation, assistance to offenders and their families, in association with non-custodial disposals available to the courts.

It is the Government's intention to develop and expand the range and extent of non-custodial disposals. We have reduced the minimum period of a probation order to six months and enabled a requirement as to compensation to be included as a condition of a probation order. We have also indicated our willingness to change the funding for community service so that local authorities will receive 100 per cent. funding for agreed expenditure.