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Correctional Services

Volume 406: debated on Tuesday 3 June 2003

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To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the terms of reference of the review looking into corrections policy; and what progress is being made in producing a report. [115434]

A Review of Correctional Services was announced in July 2002 in the White Paper "Justice for All".The first phase of the review has concentrated on the short term demands on the correctional services and was carried out by the Home Office. The second phase of the review is being led independently by Patrick Carter and will consider a strategy for correctional services over the Spending Review 2004 period to meet the Government"s objectives of protecting the public, reducing crime and sustaining public confidence, in ways which are cost effective and financially sustainable. Patrick Carter is due to report his findings to Ministers in the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government"s policy is towards corrective procedures; and what steps he is taking to encourage greater co-ordination between police, probation, criminal services and the legal system. [115430]

The White Paper "Justice for All" set out a wide-ranging programme of reform for the criminal justice system (CJS) including the correctional services in England and Wales. This Government is determined to create a criminal justice system that meets the needs of society and wins the trust of citizens by convicting the guilty, acquitting the innocent and reducing offending and re-offending.The Prison and Probation Services already work closely together in managing the supervision of licensed offenders and are increasingly engaged in joint work in meeting the target on reducing re-offending.The need for greater co-ordination between the various parts of the criminal justice system underpins the changes we have made to structures at both the national and local levels. Most critically the formation of a National Criminal Justice Board and 42 Local Criminal Justice Boards (one for each CJS area) will help to give a formal framework for the pursuit of shared aims and objectives.

Table 4A: Registration Services Elapsed Time Service Levels
Service ElementService MeasureService Level
(A2) New registrationPercentage of instances performed within five days

elapsed time
95.0
(A3) Registration changes (including additional or

replacement counter-signatory)
Percentage of instances performed within three days

elapsed time
98.0
Table 4B: Certificate Services Elapsed Time Service Levels
Service ElementService MeasureService Level
(B1) Invalid application for CCC or HLCPercentage of instances performed within two days

elapsed time
98.0
(B3) Telephone Application for HLC: up to issue of

application form for signature and counter-signature
Percentage of instances performed within one day elapsed

time
99.0
(B4) Valid application for CRC: up to dispatch of

certificate
Percentage of instances performed within three days

elapsed time
98.0
(B5) Valid application for ECRC: up to dispatch of

certificate
Percentage of instances performed within four days

elapsed time
98.0
Definitions:Elapsed timeā€”The aggregate of the elapsed times of the Activities (or Business Processes) (for which responsibility is assigned, in Schedule 2 or otherwise, to the Contractor) performed in the provision of a Service Element, such elapsed times

(a) being measured from the Service Start Point to the Service end Point and recorded on a 24 hours clock, seven days a week. Elapsed time measures expressed as a number of days shall be construed as meaning that number of days multiplied by 24 hours. For the avoidance of doubt, Elapsed time shall exclude the duration of cheque clearance processing.

The National Board will bring together Ministers, senior policy officials and Service Heads from all the main criminal justice departments and will give direction and drive to the delivery of the key CJS targets. Locally the Boards will consist of Chief Officers from the Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Prisons, Courts (Crown and Magistrates), Probation Service and Youth Offending Teams.