Women offenders: after the Corston Report - United Kingdom ...

Ev 54 Justice Committee: Evidence26 March 2013 Helen Grant MP, Ian Porée and Michael SpurrMinisters that Baroness Corston thought was crucial toprogressing this agenda?Helen Grant: For example, I sit on an interministerialgroup on human trafficking and an interministerialgroup on violence against women and girls. Anotherof my colleagues at the MOJ—I cannot rememberwhich one; it might be Jeremy Wright—sits on theinterministerial group on homelessness. For a start,there is that. It does not do any harm at all—in fact, itis very beneficial—that I am a Minister in the JusticeDepartment with responsibility for women in thecriminal justice system and also one of the Ministersfor women and equalities, so you have the overlapthere. Going forward, the new powerful advisoryboard I referred to in my strategic priorities anticipatesmembership from criminal justice partners andstakeholders but also from other Government Ministersand officials, which will allow us together to pull allthe levers we need to pull right across Whitehall to getthe job done that we need to do.Coming back to specifics on that—it started wellbefore my time, so I cannot take credit for it—verygood interdepartmental work is happening with Healthon certain liaison and diversion services from policecustody and from court. We are working with Healthon some very good pilots for intensive treatment-basedalternatives to custody. We have been working withthe Home Office on the violence against women andgirls strategy. Of course, we also work with DCLGon its troubled families strategy and trying to stopintergenerational criminal behaviour. There is quite alot happening, but that is not to say that we cannot domore.Q260 Andy McDonald: On the latter point, who hasministerial responsibility for those women who arenot yet in the criminal justice system but are at risk ofentering it? Does that fall within your remit?Helen Grant: To a certain extent, on the fringe. Someof those women will be attending the 31 women’scentres, so we will have an opportunity to try to catchand divert them at that point.Q261 Andy McDonald: Was that by accident,though? Is it the case that no direct responsibility waslaid out to say that that comes within somebody’s remitand it just happens that the women’s centres necessarilyembrace women who are in the system and those whomight be at risk?Helen Grant: No, it is part of the responsibility, andthere is work to be done. However, it is not just theresponsibility of the Ministry of Justice. It will bethe responsibility of a number of other GovernmentDepartments, as well, to deal generally with vulnerableand high-risk women.Q262 Andy McDonald: You mentioned the advisoryboard. Who do you plan to have sit on that board? Haveyou had have any thoughts on that? Are you planninginternal structural changes at official level to supportthe work of the new board?Helen Grant: On the basis that we have not sent outthe letters to those whom we want to have on the board,it would probably be wrong for me to jump the gun andannounce that to you today without telling them. I hopethe Chair accepts that. As I said, it will be made upof critical criminal justice partners and stakeholders,other appropriate Ministers across Government andhigh-level officials. We will have our first meeting inMay. The meetings are likely to be every quarter.Q263 Chair: When the Government proposed to setup an advisory board for youth justice—a decision thatwas overtaken by events, of course—this Committeewas given a clear assurance that any recommendationsof the advisory board would be made known to thisCommittee. Will that kind of assurance be given in thiscase as well?Helen Grant: Could I take advice on that and write toyou this afternoon?Q264 Chair: I see Mr Spurr shaking his headsideways.Michael Spurr: I cannot see any reason why we wouldnot share recommendations.Helen Grant: I cannot see any difficulty.Chair: Clearly, the Government recognised in relationto the youth advisory board that the whole point of theboard was to put forward recommendations that couldthen be not only presented to Ministers but examinedand often, no doubt, supported by this Committee inthe process that would follow. It is quite important thatwe have that access.Q265 Steve Brine: Let us turn to community-basedprovision. Last week you announced the additional£300,000 for women’s centres, although it wasmentioned in the House earlier in March in responseto a question from Fiona Mactaggart MP. How has that£300,000 been allocated?Helen Grant: It will obviously be in addition to the£3.78 million we spent last year and have committedto again going forward for 2013–14. It is a funny word,but really it will provide additionality, putting servicesand facilities where they are not at the moment. I alsomentioned it at Justice Questions, because I think it issomething that we need to do. I want a deepening andstrengthening of services at certain facilities as well.Q266 Steve Brine: It is a lot of money in normalparlance, but it is not a lot of money if you aretalking about additionality for gaps in service andstrengthening existing service. It will not go far, willit? Would Michael like to add to that?Helen Grant: I would like him to do so, but I wouldalso like to say something. We already know that moremoney than the £3.78 million plus the £300,000 willgo in, because some probation trusts are committingtheir own resources to women’s community centresthat, rightly, are probably having to do the same ormore with a little bit less. They value the service andare saying, “Okay, we will make up the difference.”Examples of that are Thames Valley and the LondonProbation Trust. It will become clear as we go forward,but we are talking about minimum amounts. I thinkthat is positive.Michael Spurr: This is the only set of money that wehave ring-fenced in the whole of the NOMS agencybudget—around £3.5 million on top of the baselineprovision for probation trusts—for women’s services.