§ Mr. George HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evaluation he has made of the effectiveness of diversion schemes for young offenders. [16869]
§ Mr. MacleanA recent evaluation by the Home Office of the Milton Keynes retail theft initiative, which aims to help young offenders convicted of shoplifting resist further offending, showed a reoffending rate of 3 per cent. for first-time offenders attending the scheme, compared with 35 per cent. for first-time offenders dealt with in other ways. Evaluations of motor projects and physically demanding programmes run by probation services are currently under way.