Part of Criminal Justice Bill – in a Public Bill Committee am 11:15 am ar 27 Chwefror 2003.
Hilary Benn
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office) (Minister for Prisons and Probation)
11:15,
27 Chwefror 2003
It might be helpful to say that we have consulted. However, the provisions, with minimal modifications, replicate what already exists and which is not extensively used. Principally, what is proposed is to cover circumstances when an offender, for whatever reason, has to move from England to Wales or from England to Northern Ireland. I am advised that ''or'' is the proper word; otherwise, the suggestion would be that one could live simultaneously in Northern Ireland and Scotland, which is why the wording is as it is.
The probation service, the Scottish social work departments and others work together quite closely to ensure that things can work in practice. In answer to
the question that the hon. Member for Beaconsfield asked, appropriate recommendations will be made to the court. The Amendment provides for the ability to transfer, but that is subject to the conditions and requirements that I explained. The amendment is premised on the basis of there being an order that corresponds appropriately to the community order that the court in England placed in the first instance. I am sure that you would rule me out of order, Mr. Illsley, if I talked about what might happen if the eventualities on which the hon. Gentleman speculated came to pass.
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