§ Mr. BerminghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to encourage the further use of community and probationary schemes; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. John PattenIn "Tackling Offending: An Action Plan", issued to the probation service in August 1988 following publication of the Green Paper "Punishment, Custody and the Community", the Home Office gave guidelines for enhancing and promoting the use of non-custodial penalties, including the probation order. Each area probation service was asked to take the lead in establishing a local action plan for work with young adult offenders, on the basis of these guidelines.
The Home Office has introduced national standards for community service orders which are due to come into 297W effect on 1 April. Their purpose is to increase the confidence of the courts and the public in community service orders by ensuring that the orders are demanding and that they are strictly enforced.
The Government believe that there is considerable scope for increasing the use of probation and community service orders for offenders who would otherwise receive custodial sentences.