Criminal Justice and Immigration Bill

Knowing the Minister as well as I do, and hearing his response to my noble friend’s sensible suggestion, I am surprised for two reasons. The first is that the Government seem to be being inconsistent. They say that the voluntary nature of the scheme works, yet in many other parts of the Bill, and in the clauses on prostitution in which I shall take particular interest, there is no question of the requirements being voluntary—indeed, prostitutes face detention if they do not comply with their orders. But for one of the biggest social ills facing the country, that of alcoholism in young people and the consumption of alcohol, voluntary treatment is OK. The second reason is that the Minister gave an insufficient assurance in his reply that either good guidance or a framework will be provided. That is not consistent with the quality of reply that we normally expect from him