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High Visibility Payback Scheme

Volume 485: debated on Thursday 11 December 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the high visibility payback scheme in meeting its objectives; and if he will make a statement. (240739)

Probation areas have been required to promote the unpaid work community sentence to the public as community payback since 2005. This has been done in a number of ways, including the use of signs on work sites and vehicles. Probation areas have also done imaginative work to generate local publicity in order to increase public awareness of the work done by offenders to improve local communities.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor announced that offenders sentenced to unpaid work will be required to wear distinctive high visibility clothing from 1 December. Further work is being undertaken to determine the level of public awareness community payback.