Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Jones Excerpts

Tuesday 13th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Ruffley (Bury St Edmunds) (Con)]

3. What plans he has to increase public confidence in community sentences.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

6. What plans he has to increase public confidence in community sentences.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

12. What plans he has to increase public confidence in community sentences.

--- Later in debate ---

[Andrew Jones]

I have seen work done in my constituency as part of community sentences tackling projects that would otherwise not have been done, thus benefiting communities and, in particular, reinforcing the merits of work. Does my hon. Friend have any plans to extend the element of work in community sentences?

[Jeremy Wright]

As I said, we will ensure that, whenever a community order is passed, the sentencer will impose at least one element of punishment. That is what the public would expect. One element of punishment could be community work of the sort my hon. Friend described. It is important that there is a good channel of communication between the community and the organisations within it, and the probation service and those administering community payback in order to ensure that the work is done where people want it done.

--- Later in debate ---

[Chris Grayling]

I was not aware that I was accountable to the House for Opposition roles, but I will say again to the right hon. Gentleman that I voted for the law as it stands and I stand by that decision.

[Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough) (Con)]

T4. Does my right hon. Friend have plans to use the opportunities provided by new technology in tracking offenders?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Jeremy Wright)]

Yes, we do. It will be important to consider the opportunities that GPS-based technology, in particular, gives us in the monitoring of offenders not just to enforce elements of a community order, such as an exclusion order, but to act as a deterrent for those offenders who might be minded to reoffend.