Clause 35 - Power to make travel restriction orders
Criminal Justice and Police Bill
3:15 pm
Mr Charles Clarke (Minister of State, Home Office; Norwich South, Labour)
This is an important clause and I am glad that the hon. Lady raised those points. It provides a new sentencing option for the courts: a travel restriction order. The reason for it is straightforward. The trade in illegal drugs is an international multi-million pound industry, which, in 1997, was estimated to have a turnover of approximately 8 per cent. of total international trade. That is an extraordinarily large figure, which shows the task that we are wrestling with. We believe that travel restriction orders will make it more difficult for drug traffickers to travel overseas, thereby helping to prevent or disrupt trafficking. That is one of the main objectives of the Government's drugs policy, which commands general support throughout the House.
The orders will be available when the courts impose a sentence of imprisonment of four years or more for a drug trafficking offence. That threshold has been chosen in accordance with the sentencing guidelines issued by the Court of Appeal to distinguish serious cases. In such cases, the courts will be under a duty to consider making a travel restriction order and if a court decides that a ban is not appropriate, it will be required to give reasons. The period of the order will run from the time of the offender's long-term release from custody--for example, on licence--and will last for a minimum of two years. Courts may also order the surrender of any United Kingdom passport.