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10 Dec 2009 : Column 626W—continued

Young Offenders: Training

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether offenders under the age of 24 years who are directed to participate in a training course may do so (a) in addition to a community sentence or rehabilitation and (b) instead of a community sentence or rehabilitation. [305323]

Claire Ward: Young adult offenders aged 18 to 24 may, depending on the circumstances of the offence and offender, be sentenced to a community order. The community order is available to courts on conviction under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 and may include a programme requirement, an activity requirement or an attendance centre requirement, among others. The purposes of sentencing set out in the Act include the reform and rehabilitation of offenders.

A programme requirement requires the offender to participate in a particular accredited programme at times and places specified in the order. Under an activity requirement offenders may be required to take part in activities at places and times specified in the order. An attendance centre requirement means that the offender must attend an attendance centre at the times specified and engage in occupation or receive instruction as required. Some of these programmes, activities, etc. could be described as training courses.

A court may impose an ancillary order in addition to or instead of a community order. Some such orders for example, a parenting order, may include elements of training. Programme, activity and attendance centre requirements may also be imposed on 18 to 24-year-olds as part of a suspended sentence order.

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