§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his Department's policy towards566W restorative justice; and what guidance is given to (a) police forces and (b) magistrates on the operation of restorative justice; [11834]
(2) what plans he has to review the operation of restorative justice in United Kingdom police forces. [11833]
§ Mr. MichaelI have recently met representatives of the National Council for Social Concern to discuss their proposals to promote restorative justice in England and Wales. Our long-standing commitment to introduce a reparation order demonstrates the Government's wish to restore a proper balance of rights and responsibilities which will be taken forward in the Crime and Disorder Bill later this year. The concept of "restorative justice", like the concept of "relational justice" developed by the Jubilee centre in Cambridge, provide useful tools for understanding crime and disorder when combined with a careful analysis of local problems and an objective assessment of "what works".