7th November 2007

Thank you for the letter of 8 August to Jaqui Smith enclosing a letter from your constituent Adam Fouracre. Your letter has been transferred to the Ministry of Justice and i have been asked to respond as the Minister with policy responsibility for sentancing. I am sorry for the delay there has been in replying.

I was very sorry to hear of the shocking murder of Mr Fouracre's brother. I would like to extend my deepest sympathy for his loss in those tragic circumstances.

I am very interested to hear Mr Fouracre's work with regard to violent crime. He has raised the suggestion that magistrates' courts should be able to sentance violent offenders to a form of part-time detention, in order to impose a curfew on them. I note from our correspondence records that this proposal was made previously to the Home Office, and in October 2006 Baroness Scotland QC replied that there were no plans to introduce detention centres of this type. This is still the case. The government believes that dangerous violent offenders are appropriatly dealt with in prison, untill thir risk is manageable in the community. Where offenders have committed less serious crimes, and do not present a danger to the public, community sentances with tough conditions are often a better option for punishment than rehabilitation.

Violence in all its forms is an issue of serious concern for us all. Much has been achieved with respect to violent crime over the past ten years, but there is still much more to do, particularly in relation to more serious violence. Mr Fouracre may be interested to know that we are currently developing a new overarching Cross Government Tackling Violence Action Plan, with a renewed focus on offences causing the most harm. This approach is based on identifying and managing those at risk of involvement in violence, either as perpetrators or victims, and on supporting victims to reduce the impact of these offences and to work with them to bring more offences to justice.

The Action Plan has arisen from recognition that an understanding of the root causes of violent crime will allow for the identification and implementation of long term solutions to the issue, at national, regional and local levels.

The Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 cantained a package of measures giving the police and local communities further powers to tackle violent crimes involving guns, knives and alcohol. New measures which have recently come into force include:

• banning the manufacture, import and sale of realistic imitation firearms
• increasing scentances for carrying immitation firearms
• raising the age limit for purchasing an air weapon, knives and crossbows to 18
• ensure air weapons are sold only through registered firearms dealers, face-to-fac
• a new power for the police to apply for a fast track review of an alcohol premises' licence if they feel it could be associated with serious crime or disorder
  

I hope that provides some reassurance to Mr Fouracre of the Governments commitment to reducing violent crime.

The Rt Hon David Hanson MP
Minister of State

Letter from the Ministry of Justice