Yes, the amendment creates the power to do that, which is a valuable part of it. The effect on the victim can be very important. Studies show that the degree of mental illness that victims suffer as a result of crimes can be reduced by this sort of restorative justice encounter. I therefore support the amendment.

The one point to mention here, which echoes a point made in a previous debate, is that resources are needed for restorative justice to work. I would like to draw the Government’s attention to the research finding that says that restorative justice works far better when it is run by the police rather than by social workers. If that is going to work, we must think about the resources that go to the police for this sort of activity, rather than for their other more usual activities.