Clause 5
Offender Management Bill
9:00 am
Edward Garnier (Shadow Minister (Home Affairs), Home Affairs; Harborough, Conservative)
I am sure that you are entirely right, Mr. Bayley. Let me therefore try to analyse the clause so that the discussion complies with your advice.
The title of the clause is “Power to make grantsfor probation purposes”. As I explained, one of the probation purposes is to rehabilitate, as set out in clause 1(1)(c), and one thing that is preventing the rehabilitation of offenders is the absence of adequate education. I am not making a criticism; that is simply a fact. During people’s treatment by the criminal justice system either in or outside prison or young offender institutions, there is a lack of education. That may have something to do with the type of people who come into the system, many of whom were absent from school for all sorts of reasons. Many of them come from broken homes or have been adversely affected by drug addiction or other social problems. Nevertheless it seems uncontroversial to say that about 70 per cent. of those who come into the custody system are illiterate and innumerate, as, sadly, are the same percentage of those who leave.
When we give the Secretary of State the powerto make grants for probation purposes, he ought to consider to what end the huge sums that he will have at his disposal should be deployed. If he makes payments to a probation trust or towards any other expenditure incurred for any of the probation purposes, one of the things that the Secretary of State ought to take into account when he is enjoying the powers under clause 5 is the poor state of language and comprehension services. That was one of the many points made by Lord Ramsbotham in the informal evidence session.
I see, Mr. Bayley, that your mouth is half open. I do not know whether that is because you are stifling a yawn or because you are about to give me further advice. I will pause, because I do not want to get on the wrong side of you.