Schedule 4 - Investigations by Parliamentary Commissioner
Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Bill [Lords]
5:30 pm
Mr Paul Goggins (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Home Office; Wythenshawe and Sale East, Labour)
I was grateful for the offer from the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham to write to her, as I saw the hon. Member for Beaconsfield come refreshed into the Room after we had been debating these issues for some time. However, even at this stage, we may have some helpful information.
Under clause 17, a hospital order may be made where a person is not guilty by insanity. The victim has the same interest in knowing what will happen to the perpetrator as they would have had if he had been
convicted. The victim will have suffered the same trauma, and we must emphasise the interests of the victim. Trying to understand the pain and difficulty that they have faced is our motivation. I hope that the hon. Lady and hon. Gentleman can regard that as a down payment on a letter to follow.
In the time that we have had to reflect on that matter, I have also had time to reflect on another issue that the hon. Lady raised—deportation. If a person were to be deported on his release from prison, it would be open to the probation board to tell the victim, if that was considered appropriate. Clearly, there has to be some discretion about whether that is in the interest of the victim, and the judgment must be
made by the probation officer concerned. I hope that that offers some reassurance to the hon. Lady on that matter; on the other point, I will write.
Amendment agreed to.
Amendment made: No. 74, in schedule 4, page 31, leave out lines 27 to 29 and insert—
'(b) sections [Victims of persons sentenced to imprisonment or detention] to [Victims of persons subject to transfer direction and restriction direction] of that Act (duties of local probation boards in connection with victims of sexual or violent offences).'.—[Paul Goggins.]
Schedule 4, as amended, agreed to.
Further consideration adjourned.—[Mr. Heppell.]
Adjourned accordingly at twenty-five minutes to Six o'clock till Thursday 1 July at ten minutes past Nine o'clock.