HC Deb 23 June 2000 vol 352 cc337-8W
Miss Widdecombe

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners subject to the provisions of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 have been released on the Home Detention Curfew Scheme to date; what offences they committed; what was the sentence(a) received and (b) served in each case; and if he will make a statement. [117718]

Mr. Straw

[pursuant to his reply, 6 April 2000, c. 599-600W]I stated that as of 3 April 2000, only one prisoner subject to the provisions of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 had been granted Home Detention Curfew. I was recently informed on 20 June that a second sex offender subject to the 1997 Act has been placed on the scheme.

The offender—a female aged 18 with no previous convictions—was convicted of indecent assault against a 14-year-old, and was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment. She was considered as a candidate for Home Detention Curfew in view of the exceptional circumstance that she was imminently due to give birth. She had a suitable address with her mother and was judged at an enhanced risk assessment board to pose a low risk of reoffending. She was placed on the scheme on 5 August 1999 until her conditional release date of 30 August. She successfully completed the curfew and is not known to have been arrested, charged or convicted of any further offence since.

Under existing arrangements, sex offenders subject to the 1997 Act may be released only in exceptional circumstances and then only with the personal authorisation of the Director General of the Prison Service. In this case, as in the other case previously notified, I regret that this requirement was not followed by the establishment. Although I am satisfied in this particular case that there was no risk to the public, I have asked the Director General for a report into the circumstances of the release.

The original Prison Service Instruction which set out the Home Detention Curfew policy and procedures did not contain the requirement to seek the Director General's consent. Establishments were first informed of the requirement just before the scheme commenced, in a letter of 26 January 1999 from the then Director of Regimes. In October 1999, the Director General wrote to remind all establishments of the requirement, and in January 2000 a consolidated Prison Service Order which incorporated and highlighted the requirement.

In both these cases, the releases occurred last August, before the Director General's letter of reminder and the consolidated Prison Service Order. No sex offenders subject to the 1997 Act have been placed on the Home Detention Curfew scheme since, and I am confident that all establishments are now fully aware of the requirement to seek the consent of the Director General before allowing any such offender onto the scheme.

Under the amendment to the Criminal Justice and Court Services Bill, which the Government brought forward on 12 June 2000, sex offenders subject to the Sex Offenders Act 1997 will be excluded from the Home Detention Curfew scheme altogether.