Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

Part of the debate – in a Public Bill Committee at 11:26 am on 16 October 2007.

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Photo of Edward Garnier Edward Garnier Shadow Minister (Justice) 11:26, 16 October 2007

Let me help the Minister. Paragraph 18 of schedule 1 refers to a fostering requirement that will become part of the punishment process that will be available to the courts. Sub-paragraph (7) states:

“A court may not include a fostering requirement in a youth rehabilitation order unless the court has been notified by the Secretary of State that arrangements for implementing such a requirement are available in the area of the local authority which is to place the offender with a local authority foster parent.”

On the face of it, it looks as though the Bill is promising several things, but unless the Secretary of State has the resources to implement them, they will not happen. Can you tell us whether the Secretary of State has resources in place for every local authority area, so that the provision can be implemented? Presumably, you thought about such matters before you drafted the Bill.