HC Deb 24 November 1997 vol 301 cc431-2W
17. Mr. Gordon Marsden

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consideration he has given to improving the system whereby the Parole Board takes fully into account representations from victims or their families. [15794]

Ms. Quin

The Parole Board considers any representations submitted to it from or on behalf of victmis when considering the conditions to be contained in the licence of an offender to be released from custody to supervision by the Probation Service. Under the Victims Charter and the Probation Service National Standards, probation services are required to make contact with victims of violent or sexual offences, or the victims of any offence for which the offender was sentenced to four years or more, to enable them to express any concerns they want to be taken into account when the Parole Board is considering the conditions to be attached to release licences.