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Offender Management Bill

My Lords, I very warmly support the amendment. My noble and learned friend has repeatedly reassured us—and it is good to have heard her say it—the whole task of everyone involved in the legislation is rehabilitation. We know that there are too many examples where young people in the age group referred to have been sent to prison and that no progress with them is possible—in fact, there is a negative effect. I need not go into all those arguments now because my noble and learned friend knows them better than I do and I am sure that she shares the concern. Sometimes in public policy, if it becomes clear that something should not happen, so long as there are arrangements in place which say that in exceptional circumstances it can happen, a process of rationalisation can begin and that approach becomes the easy option. Sometimes one just has to say, ““It will not happen””. The amendment does not say that; as the noble Lord has explained, prison could still happen in extremis, with ministerial approval. This is a desperately needed and long overdue measure. I support him completely.