Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Helen Grant and Paul Goggins

Tuesday 18th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Paul Goggins (Wythenshawe and Sale East) (Lab)]

16. What plans he has to extend the use of restorative justice.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mrs Helen Grant)]

The Government published their restorative justice action plan for the criminal justice system on 19 November. It will improve the victim’s awareness of and access to restorative justice. We have also introduced legislation to put restorative justice on a statutory footing.

[Paul Goggins]

I am grateful to the Minister for that answer. I welcome the Government’s action plan, to which she referred, including the clear commitment to the needs of victims. However, if she and her colleagues are to embed restorative justice at the heart of the criminal justice system, she will need to find additional resources. Will she make a commitment now to allocate to restorative justice some of the extra money that has been raised from offenders through the extended victims surcharge?

[Mrs Grant]

We are already doing so.