To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders who have been placed on an Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme have re-offended during the course of the programme.[129180]

[holding answer 11 September 2003]:The Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme was launched in 2001 to provide the courts with a tough community based programme designed to tackle persistent young offenders. It currently provides for approximately 3,500 young offenders a year at an annual cost of £21.5million. Additional funding of £2 million has been made available for national roll-out, providing for a total of 4,200 persistent young offenders annually from January 2004. The programme is being fully evaluated by Oxford University; the final report with an analysis of reconvictions is due in March 2004. It is not possible at present to provide a comprehensive answer to my hon. Friend's question.