§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether restorative justice principles are now applied to all offenders aged 18 in England and Wales; and, if not, when they expect that this will be so. [HL1061]
§ Lord Falconer of ThorotonWe are developing restorative justice in appropriate cases for offenders of all ages including 18 year-olds. It is now used widely in youth justice, with a target of use in 100 per cent of referral orders and 75 per cent of youth offending team interventions by March this year. For 18 year-olds and other adults we are piloting its use within police cautioning, community and custodial sentences, including funding three major evaluation projects. We plan to publish a restorative justice strategy paper this year. It will aim to promote best practice and propose how restorative justice can be developed to best effect.