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Lord Chancellors Dept

Answer

Mr. Heath: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what recent discussions he has had with the police and magistrates courts committees concerning the enforcement of warrants for the breach of community court orders; and if he will make a statement. [38886] Mr. Wills: Lead responsibility for execution of community penalty breach warrants was transferred from the police to the Magistrates Courts Committees on 1 April 2001. No targets were set for execution of these warrants during the first year of operation to enable baseline data to be collected. On 28 February the Lord Chancellor announced challenging targets for Magistrates Courts Committees for 2002-03 for enforcement of both financial and non-financial penalties. I refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on that day to my hon. Friend the Member for Cleethorpes (Shona McIsaac), Official Report, column 1554W. My officials have a constant dialogue with representatives of the magistrates courts service on this subject. The police now play a supporting but important role in enforcement in line with the National Framework Agreement between the Home Office and the Lord Chancellor's Department. This agreement is working well and so there have been no recent discussions between by Department and the police on this subject.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

38886; 381 c772W

Session

2001-02

Subjects

Community service orders Enforcement Magistrates' courts committees

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk