HL Deb 04 February 2002 vol 631 cc61-2WA
Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will establish a sex offenders management unit within the Prison Service in England and Wales. [HL2505]

The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker)

The Prison Service has no such plans but keeps under review the efficacy of arrangements for the management of sex offenders. Sex offenders may be serving sentences from a few months to life and it is unlikely that it would be practicable or beneficial to manage such a diverse population through a central unit. However, the Prison Service's sex offender treatment programme is supported from the centre, thus providing a co-ordinating mechanism for the development, training, delivery and evaluation of relevant treatment.