Offender Management Bill

My Lords, I thank all those who have participated in the debate and must say how much I agree with the last comment made by the noble Viscount, Lord Bridgeman, when he repeated what my noble friend Lord Judd said. The Bill is about rehabilitation; it is also about our opportunity—that is what it is—to better reduce the rates of reoffending. In that regard I concurred totally with what was said by the noble Lord, Lord Dholakia. We will be judged on the legislation by the outcome that we achieve. I also agree with what was said by my noble friend Lord Filkin—that this is about changing outcomes, not simply about what we do. Right at the beginning I should acknowledge all those who have given fulsome support to the Bill. I hope that noble Lords will not mind if I mention them because so happy am I that it has happened on this occasion. Of course, I had support from my noble friends Lord Filkin and Lord Birt and the noble Lord, Lord Carter of Coles, to whom I give thanks not only for his support on this occasion, but for the research, dedication, hard work and commitment that he has demonstrated on this issue for so many years. I thank the noble Lords, Lord Adebowale and Lord Laming, the noble Baroness, Lady Gibson—to the extent that she welcomed the changes we have made—and my noble friends Lord Rosser, Lady Massey of Darwen and Lord Corbett of Castle Vale. It is right to acknowledge, too, that there was even an assent to the aspirations behind the Bill by the noble Lord, Lord Ramsbotham, who declared himself torn in relation to it. We have agreement that we need to do better in relation to reducing reoffending. The challenge remains as to how to achieve that. There are those who, a bit like St Augustine, say, ““I want change, but not now?. I say to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Woolf, who has much greater experience than I have, that I have not yet found the moment when it is ideal to make the changes that we aspire to make. It is never felicitous. Therefore, one has to consider whether we should postpone this yet again. I heard the debate. The noble Baroness, Lady Howe of Idlicote, suggested that we were rushing the legislation. I remind her that the rush has been 18 months long, and therefore, like an elephant, our gestation period before delivery has been not inconsiderable, but that period has been well used. The Government have listened very carefully because we understand the purpose and intent of all the concerns that have been justifiably raised. We do not think that all is perfect and rosy in the garden. I agree with the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Worcester that it is not easy to bring about this change. Charitable purposes are there to be used for good reason, which is a challenge. Anyone who thinks that it is not is deluding himself. We need to contextualise some of the comments that have been made, as the noble Baroness, Lady Anelay, may not have heard me. She referred to the increase in reoffending, but I made it absolutely plain that there had been a reduction in reoffending and that we had met the 5 per cent target and were 6.9 per cent further forward than in 1997.