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Offender Management Bill

I certainly agree with the noble Lord that reducing reoffending is part of reducing offending. In order to reduce reoffending, the Probation Service must address the issues to which I have already referred. Those relate to the seven pathways. Addressing the seven pathways could also be used as crime prevention and reduction. Therefore, if we consider what we are doing with health, schools, in the DCMS in finding alternative activities for those currently involved in criminal activity, our work with safer school partnerships and other initiatives, all of that goes to reduce offending in a crime prevention strategy. The two are intertwined. I should tell the Committee that consideration is being given about whether we should rebadge the reducing reoffending inter-ministerial group andthe reducing reoffending alliances as ““reducing offending””. The two departments are working closely with all the other departments to ensure that it is understood that reducing crime is everyone’s business. It is not an issue for the criminal justice system alone. We share that responsibility across government. It was for that reason that I was very pleased that all departments that I invited to join the reducing reoffending inter-ministerial group did so with alacrity.