§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it is the practice of the Probation Service not to exercise arrest warrants for those breaking the terms of community sentence orders if they have been outstanding for more than a year; and if he will make a statement. [30117]
§ Mr. GrieveTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is the practice of the Probation Service not to exercise arrest warrants for those breaking the terms of community sentence orders if they have been outstanding for more than a year; and if he will make a statement. [29824]
§ Beverley HughesEach case is dealt with on it merits. There is no general policy that a warrant outstanding for a year, or indeed any particular period of time, should be returned to the court to consider withdrawal.
§ Mr. GrieveTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many outstanding arrest warrants issued for those breaking the terms of community sentences there are; and if he will make a statement. [29829]
§ Mr. WillsI have been asked to reply.
1096WLead responsibility for execution of community penalty breach warrants was transferred from the police to magistrates courts committees on 1 April 2001. Prior to the transfer, statistics on community penalty breach warrants were not routinely kept. The Lord Chancellor's Department is now collecting data but complete figures are not yet available. Of the community penalty breach warrants issued since the transfer 8,014 were outstanding as at 28 December 2001.