Page:Hansard (UK) - Vol 566 No. 40 August 29th 2013.pdf/105

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Jeremy Wright: Public protection is our top priority and we are determined to have the best possible systems in place to supervise offenders in the community. Any serious further offence is one too many and we work hard to manage risk—sadly it can never be completely eliminated.

We are currently reforming the system and will be introducing a new public sector National Probation Service focused on keeping the public safe from offenders who pose the greatest risk of serious harm. Data on proven reoffending for offenders who were released from custody are produced and published by the Ministry of Justice on a quarterly basis. A proven re-offence is defined as any offence that was committed

within one year of release and receiving a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning within that year or within a further six months to allow the offence to be proven in court.

Proven reoffending data for adult offenders who were released from prison between July 2009 and June 2011 (latest period for which data are available) after serving an indeterminate sentence for public protection are published in Table 19a of the Proven Reoffending Statistics Quarterly bulletin at the following link. The table includes information on the number of adult offenders who committed a proven re-offence within 12 months of release and the number of proven re-offences that were committed by these offenders.

The following table presents the number of murders and crimes of violence against the person committed by adult offenders who were released on licence from prison between 2008 and June 2011 (latest period for which data are available).

Proven reoffending data cannot be provided for offenders who were released from prison on temporary licence nor can they be provided for offenders while they served their sentence in an open prison. This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs Grant: The majority of victims who have been supported by the Salvation Army decide to return to their home country. However, where a victim is entitled to remain in the UK, for example nationals of EU and EEA member states exercising EU treaty rights or those who have been given leave, they may receive outreach support, benefits or housing support through the local authority.

When it is safe and appropriate for a victim to return to their home country, reintegration funding may be provided to support them to do this.

Mrs Grant: The Business Impact Statement, like the Victim Personal Statement, will give the victim a louder voice in the criminal justice system. It will provide the court with a fuller picture of the impact of the offence on the victim and will be disclosed to the defendant’s legal team to provide an avenue through which the offender can be made fully aware of the impact of their actions on the victim. We will work with the judiciary to assist them in reviewing and updating the relevant guidance and Practice Directions governing the use of the statement in court.

Jeremy Wright: Parliament sets the maximum penalty for an offence at a level to provide for the worst possible example of the offence and to give the courts sufficient range of sentencing powers to deal with all the cases which come before them. The courts, therefore, rarely impose the maximum sentence. However, sentencing