New Amendment into LASPO for a Women's Justice Commission

After Clause 120

LORD RAMSBOTHAM

BARONESS GOULD OF POTTERNEWTON

BARONESS CORSTON

Insert the following new Clause—

“The Women’s Justice Board

(1) There shall be a body corporate to be known as the Women’s Justice Board for England and Wales (“the Board”).

(2) The Board shall not be regarded as the servant or agent of the Crown or as enjoying any status, immunity or privilege of the Crown; and the Board’s property shall not be regarded as property of, or held on behalf of, the Crown.

(3) The Board shall consist of no less than 10 and no more than 20 members appointed by the Secretary of State.

(4) The members of the Board shall—

(a) include persons representative of government departments and public bodies whose responsibilities have relevance to the treatment of female offenders and the prevention of offending by women (including, but not limited to, responsibilities for criminal justice, housing, education, employment, benefits, social services and health services), and

(b) work with specialists who have the experience and knowledge to provide the necessary expert advice.

(5) The Board shall have the following functions, namely—

(a) to develop a strategy to reduce offending by women and for the delivery of appropriate and effective services to women in the criminal justice system,

(b) to monitor the extent to which the aims of that strategy are being met,

(c) to set standards with respect to the specification, commissioning and provision of services to women in the criminal justice system and services to reduce offending by women,

(d) to make grants, with the approval of the Secretary of State, to bodies to enable them to develop good practice in the provision of services to women in the criminal justice system and the prevention of offending by women.

(6) The Board shall make an annual report to the Secretary of State on its performance of the functions in subsection (5).

(7) Within 28 days of receipt of the report under subsection (6), the Secretary of State shall lay a copy of the report before Parliament, and make a statement on its contents and the Secretary of State’s response to it.”