HL Deb 22 July 2002 vol 638 cc7-8WA
Baroness Smith of Gilmorehill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they intend to publish the first multi-agency public protection annual report. [HL5483]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton

We have today published the first multi-agency public protection (MAPPA) annual report, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. Local police and probation areas will from tomorrow begin to publish their own reports, and these will provide the public with information on the number of offenders covered by the arrangements.

The work done in the past year by the Multi-Agency Public Protection Panel in managing risk has contributed to a higher level of public protection from potentially dangerous offenders in the community.

Our aim is that the MAPPA process should be transparent and that members of the public should be able to see what is being done on their behalf. That is why the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 requires each area to publish a report detailing the work it has done in the past year. That is also why we announced last month that members of the public were being invited to apply to sit on the boards overseeing the arrangements in five pilot areas.

In seeing the information which these reports now make available for the first time, we hope the public will be reassured by the work being done on their behalf.