§ Mr. Mike O'BrienTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is his policy on diverting offenders away from the courts and custodial sentences and towards 35W community-based projects; and what assessment he has made of the effect of the use of community-based projects on the level of juvenile crime in Northern Ireland.
§ Sir Patrick MayhewCautioning schemes for both adult and juvenile offenders operate in Northern Ireland, aimed at avoiding prosecution where it is not required in the public interest. The courts also have a range of community-based disposals available to them for offenders of all ages.
We are currently reviewing these and other aspects of Northern Ireland's criminal justice arrangements and hope to announce our conclusions in the coming months.