Public Protection

The right hon. Gentleman started well by saying that he welcomed the proposal and wished to be constructive about it. His allegations are demeaning and misleading. Let us go through the points in detail. The right hon. Gentleman’s first allegation was that the announcement was some sort of initiative to catch the headlines, rather than a substantive measure to address the issue. As I said in my statement and as he should have had the grace to acknowledge, immediately upon the announcement of the verdict in the Monckton case, which had the appalling results that he described in the case of Hanson, I asked the chief inspector of probation to go through in detail what was done wrong in relation to that case and how to put it right. I published that report extremely rapidly, and I announced today that we are carrying through in specified ways measures to stop what the right hon. Gentleman correctly defines as a terrible, appalling case, the Hanson case, happening again. Secondly, at the time that I announced the outcome of the Bridges report, I said that despite its recommendations, which were important and would be implemented, it necessarily fell short in certain important respects, and I would return to the House, as I am doing today, to say what further steps we would take. To suggest that this is some kind of spun response is demeaning and unworthy of the right hon. Gentleman. There are three core issues. In each area we have made major improvements since the time of the Government with whom the right hon. Gentleman served and held office. First, with regard to the sentencing regimes, the Criminal Justice Act 2003 established the means, which did not exist under the Government of whom he was a member, of controlling people sentenced under that regime who are dangerous to society, and at any point recalling to prison people who are dangerous to the public. That does not solve problems arising from sentences before 2003, but it is a major advance which will make a difference. Today we are announcing further measures to deal with people sentenced before that time. Secondly, on the risk assessment regime, it is critical that professionals can assess the risks associated with individuals who commit appalling crimes, but the right hon. Gentleman is quite wrong in his demeaning remarks about OASYS and the multi-agency public protection arrangements. It is an internationally recognised system, which is being introduced in a way that was never considered by his Government. It is improving the system and will improve it further, to deal with the issues properly. That is what we are doing and what he never did. Thirdly, once the assessment has been carried out, the question arises how we properly manage people thought to be a risk in those circumstances. Once again, we are introducing major changes to do that, including focusing the professional resource of probation staff on those who are most dangerous, which is why we will publish further legislation on the contestability agenda as I described. My comment to Harry Fletcher and the National Association of Probation Officers, whom the right hon. Gentleman entertainingly chucks into the discussion, is that resources are important and that we have put more resources in—much more than under his Government—but change and reform to the way we run our probation system are also important. We make the changes to protect the public better. That is what we are committed to do.