§ Mrs. Helen ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional resources are made available to receiving authorities for known sex offenders who are allocated to areas other than those of their known offending. [42191]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 11 March 2002]: Sex offenders are subject to statutory supervision by the National Probation Service until any supervision period 284W expires. In some cases the length of sentence or the provisions of earlier legislation mean that a period of supervision in the community does not apply.
Statutory supervision enables the National Probation Service to exercise a control over the location of an offender. The needs and wishes of the victim and/or the requirements of specialist accommodation may lead to a placement out of area which will be negotiated with the receiving area.
In all circumstances, under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000, the police and probation services have a joint responsibility to assess risk and to formulate a management plan for those who pose a high risk of harm. This is discharged through multi-agency public protection panels (MAPPPs).
A convicted sex offender not or no longer subject to supervision is free to choose his location but in most cases will be subject to the requirements of the Sex Offender Act 1997. This means he will be required to register his home address with the police, and notify them of any change. The police will make every effort to monitor the whereabouts of those assessed as very high risk and to notify the receiving police area of the offender's movement. Where the police and other agencies have concerns about the offender's behaviour, they may apply for a sex offender order, restraining him from specified activities on pain of imprisonment.
General budgets for police and probation include provision for risk management activities; funds do not normally follow specific offenders.
The Government will be bringing forward proposals to strengthen further the protection afforded from sex offenders. The Halliday report on the structure of the sentencing framework includes proposals for a new special sentence for sexual and violent offenders that will bring increased supervision. We are also looking to strengthen the MAPPP process, including by bringing in a lay element at an appropriate level.