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Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

My Lords, there is unfortunately a parting of the ways and the philosophy here and we will not overcome it tonight. We still do not believe that custody will ever be the right answer, however wilful and persistent the breaches—for a series of what are still minor albeit highly irritating and antisocial offences. As the Minister will appreciate from previous debates, it has not been proven that custody solves anything in terms of causing reoffending rates to decline. We also have not discussed what form that custody will take. We have not discussed, for example, Amendment No. 44, which will allow us to debate what sort of secure accommodation there should be. I do not think that we will get any closer in terms of the basic philosophy that is dividing us tonight, and I am sure that we will come back to it. In the mean time, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.