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Community Order (Review by Specified Courts in Liverpool and Salford) Order 2006

My Lords, again, I am very grateful to the noble Baroness and the noble Lord for their support for these arrangements which we can describe—perhaps in the same breath—as innovative and pragmatic. I am very much looking forward to reading the evaluation of the pilot projects. My understanding is that the evaluations being conducted by independent research companies are on track to deliver at the times to which the noble Baroness referred. She makes a proper and fair point about the need to provide parliamentary time to ensure that we can discuss those evaluation reports and have a close look at whether the pilots have delivered in terms of cost/benefit. They both need to demonstrate that. This is a new approach. When I was briefed on the order I was extremely impressed by the professional approach that has been adopted in processing the pilots. One can be optimistic about their likely success. I hope so, because the reliance and development of community orders and the way in which this is projected to work could be very useful in providing pointers for this part of the criminal justice system. On Question, Motion agreed to.