Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his plans to reform the parole process will consider preventing released offenders living near their victim where that is against the victim's wishes.

As we announced in our Root and Branch Review of the Parole System, published on 30 March, our focus is to enhance public protection and improve the system for victims – giving them greater access and a more prominent voice in the parole process. It is already the case that upon release from prison, and for the duration of their licence period, offenders must only reside at an address approved by the Probation Service. Failure to comply with such conditions can result in the offender being recalled to prison.

The victim’s wishes are taken into account in developing the offender’s release plan. Victims signed up to the Victim Contact Scheme have the statutory right to request licence conditions in advance of a prisoner’s release and the Probation Service will consider what conditions may be required to protect victims and their families against unwanted contact. These could include a non-contact condition or an exclusion zone, prohibiting the offender from entering areas where the victim lives and works, or to which the victim travels frequently.

Protecting the public and victims is the government’s priority. Under our proposed reforms, we will ensure that victims’ wishes and concerns are given more prominence in the parole process, including plans to require the Parole Board to take account of submissions from victims.