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Offender Management Bill

The issue of race has been a matter of particular and acute concern in the criminal justice system for quite some time. There is an acknowledged disproportionality in the representation of those from the black and ethnic minority communities in the criminal justice system. No such clear disproportionality exists in relation to either gender or disability. These matters are properly dealt with in secondary legislation, and there will be other equality issues as a result of the duties laid upon all the agencies. Further consequential amendments will flow, and we think it would be better to brigade them all together in one place and deal with them when we address the power which we hope will be given to us in Clause 35. That is the most effective way of dealing with this. I hope that the Committee will accept our total commitment to ensuring that the full import of both gender and disability duties will bear on this Bill.