Crime Justice Citizenship and Equalities

Partnership in Power - Draft Final Year Documents

DRAFT - This is a discussion paper only. The content of this document does not necessarily reflect Government or Labour Party policy.

Introduction

Justice is at the heart of everything that we as the Labour Party stand for. It is at the heart of the work of the Crime, Justice, Citizenship and Equalities commission. We believe that a primary duty of the state is to deliver a just society, where respect is shared among a community of equals and where the law is obeyed by all.

Our aim is to support opportunity for all in a fairer, stronger and safer society. By focussing on these aims we can create thriving, vibrant communities based around respect and shared rights and responsibilities. We want to create a community of empowered citizens, where power, wealth and responsibility is in the hands of the many and not the few.

We are proud of our progress since 1997 and we are determined to build on it, to create a stronger, better Britain.

We will continue to focus on crime and justice as we strive to create a safer Britain, secure within its borders, where people can feel safe in their homes, on their streets and in their communities. We will focus on equality for all, to create a society where everyone can flourish. And we will continue the constitutional revolution we began in 1997, redistributing power and empowering citizens.

With these principles to guide us, Labour will create a Britain better for all.

A stronger, healthier democracy

Labour's central political objective is enshrined in clause IV of the party's constitution: to place power, wealth and opportunity in the hands of the many and not the few.

Our constitutional arrangements reflect - and determine — the location of power in the UK. Since 1997, Labour has delivered on a radical programme of modernisation of those constitutional arrangements and is in the process of taking forward the next phase in this agenda.

It is fundamental to our mission to create a fairer, stronger society in which 'the rights we enjoy reflect the duties we owe, and where we live together, freely, in a spirit of solidarity, tolerance and respect."

Governance of Britain

We are the party of constitutional reform and we are proud of our achievements. Over the last decade, Labour has transformed the political landscape and devolved power away from a centralised state. Devolution has transferred important responsibilities away from Westminster to the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and London and to local authorities. House of Lords reform has removed the majority of hereditary peers. The Human Rights Act has enshrined fundamental rights, putting them at the heart of our domestic legal culture. The Freedom of Information Act has established transparency as a mechanism for empowering the individual against the state.

The Governance of Britain programme will be the next phase in Labour's programme of constitutional change. It will see us engage in a comprehensive programme of reform to redistribute power away from the centralised state.

'We must combat apathy and distrust by open government.' Vale of Glamorgan CLP

Increasing scrutiny and accountability

The recently published Constitutional Renewal White Paper and draft Bill set out proposals to limit or surrender to Parliament a number of powers previously exercised exclusively by the executive. These include the power to send troops to war and to ratify international treaties. In both cases, the Government proposes to give Parliament a clearly defined role for the first time. In addition, we are proposing to increase parliamentary oversight of the intelligence services, place the Civil Service on a statutory footing and increase the independence of the judiciary by reducing ministerial involvement in judicial appointments.

The highest court in the land for far too long has been beyond the reach or understanding of many. The establishment of a new Supreme Court will create a highly visible symbol of judicial authority, one which is accessible to the public.

We believe that Government should be answerable to Parliament and the people. That is why we have introduced innovations such as a pre-Queen's Speech consultative process on the Government's legislative programme, and it is why we have invited Parliament to hold annual parliamentary debates on the objectives and plans of major Government Departments.

Labour believes that Parliament should stand at the apex of British democracy. But to do so Parliament must be properly accountable to the British people. For this reason we will develop reforms for a substantially or wholly elected second chamber and will explore how the existing powers of the chamber should apply to the reformed chamber.

Increasing political participation

Labour believes in encouraging greater participation. We want to encourage citizens to become more actively involved in civil society while simultaneously taking measures to remove the barriers to involvement in politics.

We are particularly committed to addressing the fact that those less likely to vote are disproportionately the poorest in society. We will consider whether innovations such as weekend voting and e-voting would boost turnout at elections. The Government has also published a Review of Voting Systems to inform the ongoing debate about electoral reform.

We are committed to ensuring that people have confidence in the electoral system. We will continue to safeguard the security and integrity of our electoral system while improving access to elections so that as many people as possible are able to vote.

We believe it is the role of political parties to do all they can to encourage people to participate in our democracy. We value the political process and believe political parties have a duty to tackle apathy and confront those who peddle extremist ideologies.

The Government is committed to bringing forward proposals to increase public confidence in the system of party finance and expenditure. We believe that there is a pressing need in British politics to end the political spending arms race and we will introduce proposals to curb it and make existing legislation governing spending limits more effective.

'Further consideration should be given to lowering the voting age to 16' Bolsover CLP

We believe it is important to engage young people as citizens, so they are able to take an active part in society. We have established the Youth Citizenship Commission which is examining what citizenship means to young people. It is looking at how we increase young people's participation in politics, including how we develop citizenship amongst disadvantaged groups, and what role volunteering and community engagement should play in this process, and it will also lead a consultation on the case for lowering the voting age to 16.

Strengthening Citizenship and Social Solidarity

Labour is proud to have introduced the Human Rights Act. We believe that the next stage of reform is to look at whether the United Kingdom should develop a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities which would build on the Human Rights Act so that our system meets the needs and expectations of this century.

Because Labour believes that our national identity and common values matter we will continue to work on the possible formulation of a statement of values for Britain. We want to develop an inclusive view of our shared values which commands broad support. We will take forward this process as we look at whether we could benefit from a statement of values for Britain, and if so what should be in it, how it should be expressed and how best it might be used.

We are committed to strengthening devolution and securing Scotland's place in the Union and, ten years on, we will give our full backing to the cross-border, cross-party constitutional commission to review the Scotland Act 1998. There is little desire amongst the Scottish people for separatism — the interests of Scotland are best preserved by remaining part of the United Kingdom.

Democratic engagement/e-participation

Labour understands that society and politics have changed and will continue to evolve. The increased support for single issue campaign groups and the growing interest in internet politics underlines that older forms of political participation and affiliation do not have the same appeal for 21st century British citizens. So the political system must adapt to keep pace with the modern world. Citizens want a say over issues that concern them between, as well as, at elections. That is why Labour is exploring new forms of democratic engagement, such as citizens' juries and citizens' summits, to enable the public to inform and propose policies. These have been successfully used in the development of health and education policy, and will play a key role in guiding the Governance of Britain agenda.

Representative democracy remains the best political system available. It delivers effective government, encourages parties to adopt broad policy platforms and to weigh different and often conflicting interests in the balance. Crucially, it guards against the tyranny of the majority, which is why we are opposed to the creation of a plebiscitary democracy. But we do need to augment our representative democracy by exploring how we can bolster the existing decision making structures with new participatory mechanisms.

Through the use of innovative projects such as the Digital Dialogues programme, Labour has offered the means for citizens to get directly involved in discussions on issues such as diverse as services for young people, sustainable development, and provisions for the elderly. A range of government departments from the Ministry of Justice to the Department of Health have been involved in these dialogues, and more of this work is planned.

Labour has also been at the forefront of utilising new technology to strengthen democratic engagement through the use of e-petitions on the Downing Street website. This has already engaged millions of British citizens. We are now looking, with Parliament, to see how e-petitioning might strengthen and facilitate closer public interaction with the House of Commons.

Safer neighbourhoods

Crime is down 32 per cent since 1997 and, with some 6 million fewer offences now being committed each year compared with a decade ago, the risk of being a victim of crime is significantly down. Thanks to Labour we have 14,000 extra police, 16,000 Police Community Support Officers and Neighbourhood Police Teams in every area — we are making a real difference.

'Usdaw congratulates the Labour Government on the progress made over the past 10 years to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour. There has been a substantial drop in reported crime as well as fear of crime and many of our communities are safer than they have ever been before.' USDAW

While progress has been made, challenges remain. Public concern about crime and anti-social behaviour persists, with specific worries around certain types of crime - particularly violent crime, including gun and knife crime, drug and alcohol-related crimes, organised crime and crime involving young people. Changes in technology, in lifestyles and in our communities offer many new opportunities, but also bring new challenges in keeping communities and families safe. We must continue to take tough action to clamp down against offenders, setting clear boundaries to acceptable behaviour and consequences for stepping over them, while also providing the opportunities and support necessary to prevent offending and reoffending.

The right to safety and security is a fundamental right, one that Labour is determined to protect. We are dedicated to ensuring that people can feel safe in their homes and their neighbourhoods, so that they and their families can get on with their lives.

Action to prevent offending

People want firm and effective action against offenders and measures to stop crime and anti-social behaviour. They also want action to tackle unacceptable behaviour early — prevention is the most effective way to reduce crime. This is why Labour continues to be tough on the causes of crime.

Since 1997 we have made substantial progress tackling the underlying causes of crime and anti-social behaviour. Our policies have focussed on reducing unemployment, tackling poverty and social exclusion, and increasing educational opportunity. We will continue this approach in the knowledge that, as well as the other benefits, this will reduce crime.

'Early intervention is the key to preventing many individuals from becoming young offenders. Programmes such as Sure Start and Flying Start offer the chance to ensure that those at risk do not become offenders.' Luton North CLP

We are continuing to deepen our understanding of the complex causes and impacts of crime. There are a variety of personal, family and community factors that impact on offending, such as parental interest and family income; drugs and alcohol remain significant factors; and it remains the case that people in poorer areas are more likely to be victims of crime. All of these factors pose challenges for our approach to preventing offending.

We know that it is only a minority of young people who behave badly. The vast majority of our young people are responsible citizens and they share the same hopes, aspirations and fears as the rest of society. We reject the notion that all young people are troublemakers, that Britain is a broken society or that there is anarchy on our streets. Crime is very far from an exclusively youth phenomenon and nor is it only older people who are concerned about tackling crime — young people want action on crime too.

However, we recognise there are issues surrounding certain types of crime, one of which is youth crime and anti-social behaviour which is just as much an issue for young people concerned about gang-related activities as it is for older people who are genuinely concerned about young people 'hanging around'. For this reason, we will continue our work in tackling youth crime, anti-social behaviour and its causes, focussing on early intervention alongside more positive activities for young people.

The Youth Taskforce Action Plan builds on the work of the Respect Taskforce. It sets out our approach based around tough enforcement to tackle problem behaviour, non-negotiable help to tackle the causes of problems and early intervention to nip problems in the bud. We will take action to tackle the underlying causes of crime, such as drug abuse, excessive and under-age alcohol consumption, and our policies will continue to address poor parenting, and family breakdown.

'Often tackling the behaviour of one or two individuals or families can make a big difference to an entire area.' Local Government Association Labour Group

Intensive Intervention Projects will work with the most challenging young people to make sure they get the help they need to tackle the causes of their bad behaviour. We will continue to support parents struggling to manage their children's behaviour with measures such as parenting contracts and orders, and Parenting Early Intervention Pathfinder schemes will be expanded to provide support such as parenting classes. At the same time we will continue to invest in places to go and positive things for young people to do.

The Education and Skills document covers these issues in greater depth.

Crime and anti-social behaviour

While we remain committed to tackling the causes of crime to prevent offending, we must be equally robust on tackling offenders. Crime and anti-social behaviour, where it occurs, leaves a scar on our communities; we cannot and will not allow crime and criminals to go unchallenged. By focusing on prevention, detection and enforcement, Labour will build on the success we have had in driving down crime over the last decade.

To tackle anti-social behaviour, we have given police and councils powers to clamp down on those who make life a misery for others and sanctions will continue to be an important part of tackling the problem alongside appropriate support. Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) help protect our communities, homes and workplaces by barring troublemakers from problematic behaviour and they will continue to play an important role. Alongside ASBOs, Individual Support Orders (ISOs) will challenge people to change their behaviour for the longterm by requiring them to take the support they need.

Violent crime has fallen by 31 per cent since 1997 — it accounts for 1 per cent of all crime — but where it does occur it devastates lives and blights communities. Labour will continue to take tough action to clamp down on violent offenders — we want to reduce the rates of these crimes even further. We pledge that by 2011 we will have reduced serious violent crime - including gun and gang-related violence, knife crime, sexual and domestic violence - and improve the way the whole criminal justice system responds to these offences.

We will ensure that more of those found carrying knives are prosecuted, and work with the courts in applying the new tougher sentences for knife crime particularly in those communities where it is a serious issue. As we work to take weapons off our streets we will provide police with portable knife-detecting scanners and search wands; and we will institute new controls on deactivated firearms. Measures on gang crime will include working with police and communities to identify top gang members, enhancing the use of covert surveillance and implementing targeted, multi-agency crackdowns. We also need to educate our young people about the dangers of weapons and turn them away from crime before they offend. So we will launch a new campaign to challenge the idea that weapons are 'glamorous'or provide protection from violence and work with The Be Safe Project to offer a million young people access to education about the dangers of weapons.

To tackle sexual violence we will invest more than £20 million over the next three years on multi-agency interventions and information sharing between police, councils, volunteer groups and health workers to identify people likely to commit acts of serious violence, and we will more than double the number of sexual assault referral centres.

'The National Delivery Plan for domestic violence, the roll out of Specialist Domestic Violence Courts (SDVC) Programme and the funding of Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs) are all welcome developments.' Refuge

We have made a lot of progress to stop domestic violence, but some still see violence to women as an accepted part of life so we remain committed to confronting and tackling this terrible crime which destroys families, terrifies children and leaves its victims frightened and vulnerable. We have invested £14 million into tackling the problem of domestic violence and have developed a Domestic Violence National Action Plan. We are committed to bringing more perpetrators to justice and to improving the support and safety of victims. As part of this work we are delivering a further 30 new Specialist Domestic Violence Courts across England and Wales, bringing the total number in the national programme to 98.

Drugs

Illegal drug use is unacceptable. It wastes lives, destroys families and damages communities. While drug use is at an 11 year low and drug-related crime has fallen by a fifth in the last five years we recognise that drugs remain a formidable social problem.

Labour's clear ambition is to see fewer people start using drugs and to reduce the problems to society and the damage to communities caused by drugs. Enforcement of the law and tough sentences for drug-related crime make clear our message: we will not tolerate illegal drug use. We will also tackle the causes of crime by providing support and treatment for those who want to take responsibility for themselves and to get off drugs and into work.

We will work across government to cut drug-related crime and disorder; cut the risk of drug use among young people; cut the number of families devastated by parental drug use; increase the number of drug users making a positive contribution to society; and expand and improve drug treatment services.

Labour will extend powers to seize drug dealers' assets to demonstrate that crime does not pay;
• place a greater responsibility on drug users on benefits to get treatment and back into work;
• use the neighbourhood policing approach to embed action to tackle drugs, gathering intelligence from communities;
• and strengthen and extending international agreements to intercept drugs supplied to the UK.

We will work to reduce the devastation drugs can wreak on lives and increase the number of drug users making a positive contribution to society by: focussing on families where parents use drugs and prioritising treatment for parents who have children; piloting new approaches that allow more flexible and effective use of resources including personalised treatment; increasing the use of community sentences with a drug rehabilitation requirement; and developing support for drug treatment so that those who quit drugs are offered training and support in getting work and re-establishing their lives.

'It was believed that alcohol and drug abuse were a major contribution to crime and that this should have a high priority.' Luton North CLP

Alcohol

Alcohol misuse can do great damage to individuals, the people around them and the wider community. We have given the police and councils the powers to bear down on alcoholrelated crime, including the ability to confiscate alcohol from under-18s drinking in public, take licences away from premises who break the rules and issue Penalty Notices for Disorder. We must ally this approach with measures to reduce irresponsible drinking, such as education programmes on the danger of binge drinking, tackling sales of alcohol to those under 18, and working with the alcohol industry to encourage responsible retailing.

We will undertake further comprehensive research into post-midnight drinking patterns and their impact on crime and order, and will not hesitate to take the necessary action through new legislation and enforcement measures to tackle this. We will utilise existing powers to identify problem premises; make it easier to review premises where evidence suggests there is a problem; and encourage the imposition of tougher sentences on those found to be breaching their licensing conditions.

We will change the offence of 'persistently selling alcohol to a person under 18' from 'three strikes' to 'two strikes' in three months so that any seller who twice sells to under age drinkers and is caught doing so will immediately lose their licence. We will support the police and local authorities to identify problem hotspots so that we can allow licensing authorities the ability to exercise more caution and conditions when issuing licenses, and wholesale withdrawal of licences in these areas, and permit local authorities and police to target enforcement resources more effectively at problem hotspots. We will also introduce a new 'yellow card and red card' alert system, where a yellow card will put the problem premises on immediate probation together with tough and uncompromising sanctions. And when the circumstances are right, it will be a straight red card leading to withdrawal of the licence.

To tackle the anti-social behaviour associated with alcohol we will: increase the maximum fine for anyone not obeying an instruction to stop drinking; make it easier for the police to disperse anti-social drinkers; extend the use of Acceptable Behaviour Contracts to those young people caught drinking in public; and alcohol arrest referral pilots will be extended to help deal with young people drinking in public who are already involved in criminal activities.

Alcohol misuse puts people's health and safety at risk. We will work to promote sensible drinking and we will take national and local action to achieve long-term reductions in alcohol-related ill health. We will develop our strategy of identifying and providing advice in different healthcare and criminal justice settings to those whose drinking puts them themselves and others at risk, as well as reviewing NHS alcohol spending to help us make smarter spending decisions to reduce the number of people with alcohol-related illnesses.

The Health document contains further detail on alcohol and health.

Policing the future

Policing is the key to our ability to tackle crime and keep our neighbourhoods safe. We have put over 14,000 more police on the streets since 1997, and alongside them we have introduced 16,000 Police Community Support Officers. We must build on this progress to deliver a police force that is responsive and accountable to local people.

Thanks to Labour, for the first time ever, every community in England and Wales now has a dedicated Neighbourhood Police Team. These visible, accountable and contactable teams of officers work alongside local people, listening to their concerns and addressing their priorities. We will now introduce new neighbourhood policing pledges — combining a national standard of what people can expect from their local neighbourhood team, with specific agreements between the team and local residents about local priorities. Neighbourhood policing is about giving local people power over how their streets are policed — we are delivering a new kind of policing, one in which the citizen has real influence.

'moves by police to reduce bureaucracy and spend less time on paperwork need to be accelerated, for example by issuing more hand-held computers. Local accountability is important, and will help to make the police more visible.' Oxford East and Oxford West and Abingdon CLPs

We must continue to reform policing to ensure it is delivering for our communities. We want to strengthen accountability of the police at a local level so that residents' views are heard - we want a police service which responds to local needs. By improving working practices, cutting red tape and freeing up resources we can give our police more time on the frontline. We will streamline bureaucracy, for example by scrapping the Stop and Account form and introducing a new standard one page form to record crime, and use technology, such as the Airwave police radio technology and hand-held computers, to help police do their job better, so they can spend more time on the beat where they can focus on protecting our communities.

We will examine reforms of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act with the aim of reducing police bureaucracy and making better use of police staff so that experienced officers can focus on what the public want: police on the beat, delivering visible, responsive, neighbourhood policing . We will also improve the way the police work with the courts and the wider criminal justice system. We are piloting virtual courts, to reduce the time from charge to first hearing, and new streamlined processes to reduce police and administrative time in preparing prosecution files. We will also harness new technology to make crime fighting more effective, such as video identity parades, livescan electronic fingerprinting, body-worn cameras, and mobile data devices.

Terrorism

Providing security for the nation and its citizens is the most important responsibility of government. The threat from international terrorism is real, severe and sustained. We must be steadfast and determined in the face of a threat which continues to grow in both complexity and scale.

Labour is committed to safeguarding the nation, its citizens, our prosperity and our way of life. We will give the police and security services the powers they need to keep us safe. We will bring forward a number of measures, including greater use of post-charge questioning of terrorist suspects, tougher sentences for offences with a terrorist connection, and powers to seize terrorist assets. We are also bringing forward new proposals on pre-charge detention, so that in exceptional circumstances, and with strong parliamentary and judiciary safeguards, there can be a temporary and non-renewable extension of the limit for up to 14 days so that the police can continue to hold terrorist suspects while pursuing their investigations in complex cases. We are also providing record levels of funding for counter terrorism policing.

At the same time, we will continue to support communities to build understanding and tackle extremism. We will work to counter the threat of violent extremism by challenging the poisonous ideology on which it feeds, taking it on not simply by force.

ID cards

We will introduce biometric ID cards so that for the first time UK residents will have a single way to secure and verify their identity. ID cards will allow us to better protect ourselves and our families against identity fraud as well as protecting our communities against crime, illegal immigration and terrorism. ID cards will help us to prove our identity in a way we can trust — quickly, easily and securely. They will also support national security by providing a robust defence against those who would seek to use false identity to mask criminal or terrorist activity. A national identity scheme based on biometric details will give us a far higher degree of protection than presently available and than most other countries. The scheme will hold minimal personal information, and will store it separately from biometrics, for added protection.

The first people to get biometric ID cards, starting later this year, will be non-European Economic Area foreign nationals living in the UK. The first UK citizens will be issued next year, starting with those working in jobs where secure identity is most important, including airport workers. From 2011, everyone applying for a passport will have a choice of whether to have just a biometric passport, a biometric ID card, or both, and will be registered on the national identity scheme. We are also determined to keep the costs of ID cards to individuals and to the taxpayer as low as possible, and our latest proposals have reduced the expected costs by around £1 billion.

Delivering Justice

Labour has made significant progress in cutting re-offending and delivering justice. Crime is down by a third since 1997, more offences are being brought to justice and public confidence in the criminal justice system has risen. Our success in cutting crime has come on the back of tougher sentences for the most violent and dangerous offenders, more of whom are being sent to jail for longer, and we have built 20,000 extra prison places with more on the way.

A system that delivers justice for all

Labour's goal is an efficient, fair and effective criminal justice system, which has the law abiding majority and victims at its heart. An effective system must protect the public, punish the guilty and offer a realistic chance of rehabilitation.

We must aim for a criminal justice system that raises public confidence still further by speeding it up, increasing its efficacy and building on previous improvements in the way that cases are managed. More information for victims and the public can aid understanding of the system. That is why we are committed to schemes such as publishing regular courts performance data to bring greater transparency.

Our justice system must provide access to justice for all. We must make sure that help and advice and financial support are available at the point of need and the earliest stage, especially for the most vulnerable.

'The Government has been responsible for placing the victim more centrally in the criminal justice system, but we can go further. We need to protect victims and witnesses who are intimidated more effectively, and have punitive responses to criminals and their associates who attempt such intimidation. We need to improve the way victims are dealt with throughout the process from reporting the crime to court.' Sheffield Heeley CLP

Our system should offer opportunities for reparation and restoration to victims, and support to vulnerable witnesses. We want to give the victim a greater voice in court which is why we have introduced innovative reforms such as the Victims' Advocates Scheme which allows crown prosecutors to speak up on behalf of the victims in homicide and death-by-driving cases.

Local communities must also be more involved with a greater voice in sentencing. Where courts engage with local people they can be more effective in delivering solutions to problems in their areas - we can take this approach forward by building on the successful community justice projects in Salford and North Liverpool. A further 11 such schemes have been rolled out around the country, from Plymouth to Middlesbrough.

Prisons, probation and sentencing

We will consider, in consultation with the judiciary, police, and outside experts, the proposal recommended in the report by Lord Carter in 2007, of a Sentencing Commission to improve the transparency, predictability and consistency of sentencing.

We believe that when people are convicted of a crime they need to be properly punished. Prison is, and will remain, the right place for the most serious offenders. Labour has introduced tougher sentences to ensure more violent and dangerous criminals are going to jail for longer. For others non-custodial sentences are often more effective. For many offenders on sentences of less than 12 months community-based punishments are proven to be more effective at reducing re-offending than short prison terms. So, while custodial sentences, and therefore prison places, must always be available for all offenders when other measures have failed or are inappropriate, we must continue to develop tough, credible and effective alternatives to prison for less serious offenders.

As part of this commitment we will introduce a number of intensive alternatives to custody projects. These programmes will include a combination of unpaid work, electronic monitoring, behaviour programmes, mentoring, and help with resettlement, all under intensive supervision. We will also take forward our work on Community Payback, such as through options like citizen's panels to decide on which projects offenders should undertake in their local area.

Communities deserve protection from offenders. We have built new prison places to ensure we have adequate prison capacity to deliver what the public rightly expects: dangerous and persistent offenders off the streets and behind bars. But if prison is to work in the interests of the community it must rehabilitate as well as punish and protect. Prison is expensive — it costs around £37,000 a year to lock someone up — so we must ensure that it is effective, not only in keeping the public safe but in turning offenders away from crime.

'Prison is an expensive option and should be used to rehabilitate as well as punish. Other effective forms of punishment should also be used, but there is a need to convince the public that these are not just a soft option and ensure that they are adequately resourced and properly policed.' Transport Salaried Staffs' Association

We will work to create more efficient, effective offender management services in custody and the community. To this end a restructured National Offender Management Service (NOMS) will focus more clearly on delivery in prisons and probation, bringing together and streamlining the prison service and NOMS headquarters. We will also consult on ways to improve the effectiveness of probation and community service in terms of reducing future re-offending and improving value for money, including the use of a wider range of providers.

Reducing re-offending is vital if we are to cut crime - locking criminals up and throwing away the key will never bring about the falls in re-offending that the public rightly expect — and we are making progress. Last year over 40,000 offenders entered education, training or employment; we have almost trebled spending on offender learning since 2001; and we have increased investment in drug treatment in prisons by 1,008 per cent since 1996/7.

We will continue this good work, focussing our efforts to reduce re-offending on seven pathways: accommodation; skills and employment; health inequalities; drugs and alcohol; children and families of offenders; finance, benefit and debt; and attitudes, thinking and behaviour. We will bring in a new approach to identify the neighbourhoods with the heaviest concentration of offending, and then target them with probation officers, Neighbourhood Police Teams, youth and social workers and others, to reduce offending.

We want to give communities a sense of what they can expect from those who break the law, which is why we will bring forward a new 'contract' between offenders and the community. This will see us provide opportunities for offenders to learn skills which will benefit them outside prison, but in return the contract will set out what the community expects in return for these opportunities. We will also expand our programme of corporate alliances with employers to offer constructive work opportunities for offenders outside of prison as well as increasing the range of work available inside prison, and we will work with the private and third sectors to provide prison workshops.

We will build even more prison capacity — we are committed to building 20,000 more prison places, 15,000 net in addition to those already delivered, bringing the prison population to 96,000 by 2014. This includes plans for large 'Titan' prisons, which will build on the success of clustering smaller prisons together, for example in Sheppey — combining the value for money and easier planning of a larger prison, with the security and effectiveness in tackling offending of smaller prisons.

'We would welcome an increase in prison places. However, greater use needs to be made of secure detox/Mental Health facilities for appropriate offenders, in lieu of traditional punitive methods.' Bournemouth CLP

Inside prisons we will step up the drive against drugs, building on our progress which has seen a two-thirds fall in the number of prisoners testing positive for drugs in prison. This will include an expansion of the Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS) which is helping prisoners kick the habit; a task force to assess existing services; and in the community we will increase the use of Drug Rehabilitation Requirements (community sentences targeted at offenders with drug problems) which combine treatment, testing, court reviews of progress and rigorous enforcement to help offenders get off drugs for good. We have also set up a review of drug controls in prisons. Following the recent evaluation of the Leeds and West London pilots, we will now extend our successful dedicated Drug Courts to a further four areas.

Many offenders have mental health problems. We will bring forward pilots of models for court diversion and reviewable community orders for those with mental health issues. Problem solving approaches applied to mental health builds upon experience developed within the criminal justice system relating to community justice, domestic violence courts and drugs court pilots, all aimed at ensuring that the courts respond effectively to problems.

There needs to be earlier identification of mental health problems, with more thorough checks on reception in prison. To this end Lord Bradley is currently carrying out a review into filtering more offenders with mental health problems into more appropriate accommodation and sooner.

Baroness Corston's Review of Women with Particular Vulnerabilities in the Criminal Justice System identified a number of issues affecting women offenders and women at risk of offending. We believe that more needs to be done to address these issues and to tackle problems at an earlier stage — in the community in particular. We will continue to look at how the penal system treats women, and look at what is most effective in preventing reoffending. We will improve provision and services for women, including a cross-departmental project to examine the extent and nature of current women's centre provision and the development of a National Service Framework for Women for commissioning services for women offenders. For those women who do need to be held in custody, a project has been set up to consider the future of the women's custodial estate and explore how Baroness Corston's recommendation on small, local, multi-functional custodial units could be taken forward.

Immigration and Asylum

For Labour, the security of our borders is fundamental to the future of our country. We are committed to building immigration and asylum systems in which people can have confidence, which protect the security of the United Kingdom, prevent abuse of our laws, and are fair to both legal migrants and the British public. We have achieved a great deal since 1997 but the world is constantly evolving — migration takes place on a scale unthinkable even twenty years ago — and we must respond to keep pace with new circumstances. For this reason we are committed to delivering the biggest changes to our immigration, citizenship and border security systems for decades. We want a system fit for the 21st century, one which benefits Britain.

Protection for the vulnerable and exploited

Britain has a long tradition of providing a safe haven to those in need. We are rightly proud of this history and we will continue to provide a place of refuge for the oppressed and those legitimately seeking asylum and the security of our care.

A fair system means treating everybody equally and fairly, and providing protection to the vulnerable. We are committed to protecting those migrants from exploitation. We will act against rogue employers and bear down on the organised crime which seeks to exploit illegal entrants for financial gain. Such action is important economically as well as morally as illegal working undermines the terms and working conditions of British and migrant workers.

'Failed asylum seekers need to be dealt with properly and quickly.' Sheffield Heeley CLP

We will continue to reform the asylum system to ensure that it is firm, fair, protects the vulnerable and exploited, and is not subject to abuse. Labour believes that when it comes to asylum cases, faster decisions are often fairer decisions. So we will for the first time, conclude — either granting or removing — the majority of cases within six months. And we will be most sensitive to the children in our care and the victims of human trafficking.

People trafficking is a horrendous crime trading on human misery and we will take action against it. We will ratify the Council of Europe Convention Against Trafficking and, building on our UK Human Trafficking Action Plan, we will go further to support the victims and actively pursue the criminals through the courts.

As part of our determination to crack down on forced and sham marriages we are consulting on changing the process for applying for a marriage visa from overseas, including more in depth interviews for couples, raising the minimum age of a spouse and their sponsor from 18 to 21, and additional scrutiny of multiple applications submitted over a short period. And we will bring forward fresh legislation as necessary.

Labour ended the horrifying bonded labour status of migrant domestic workers in 1998 and is committed to ensuring these most vulnerable members of our communities continue to receive the protections we introduced.

An immigration system fit for the 21st century

Migration brings undoubted benefits. Carefully controlled migration is good for the wealth of us all. In the last decade it has gone along with more jobs, higher wages and a more efficient economy. In 2006 alone, migration was worth £6 billion to national output. Migrants can bring useful talents and skills, plugging gaps in our economy - as a result our economy becomes more productive and more prosperous.

'We need to recognise that migrants can strengthen communities, including making them viable, as well as stretching resources.' Sleaford and North Hykeham CLP

Britain is a fair-minded and tolerant country, one which has welcomed newcomers to its shores for centuries and which is comfortable with its diversity. But the message from the public is clear. In order for Britain to reap the benefits of migration, in which we all share, we need robust systems to regulate it. Following extensive consultation, the public has told us that strong borders are a priority; they want us to tackle abuse of the immigration system; they want us to hold newcomers to account when they break the rules; and they want a compassionate system which makes — and enforces — decisions fast when we have obligations to honour — and lets those we need, come here to make the contribution they can, demonstrate proficiency in English, pay tax and obey the law.

Labour will deliver the strong borders and the fair systems that we all want. We want migration to work in the national interest and we are introducing a new points-based system similar to Australia's in order to ensure that it does so. And, because we believe that we need to take into account the impact of migration on Britain, we are establishing two independent bodies to advise us on how the points-based system should be run. The Migration Impacts Forum will consult with frontline public services to tell about any pressures on public services, while the Migration Advisory Committee will provide expertise on where the British economy needs skills from abroad — and where we do not.

We are introducing a single border force to guard our ports and airports, with frontline staff given police-like powers. Before visas are issued anywhere in the world we will check fingerprints. We will also reintroduce measures to count foreign nationals in and out of the country so we know who is here, and we will go further, introducing compulsory watch-list checks for all travellers before they reach Britain, and, for particularly high risk countries, we will ensure travellers are checked before the planes even take off.

'The Australian points system for immigrants is recommended.' Bracknell CLP

Our points-based immigration system will form a key part of strong steps to prevent illegal immigration. These will see compulsory biometric ID cards issued for all foreign nationals who wish to stay, with the first cards being issued later this year. We will also target rogue employers with big on-the-spot fines for those who seek to exploit the vulnerable and do not make the right checks on their employees.

Because we want to hold newcomers accountable for their behaviour we will introduce powers to automatically send home those foreign nationals who break the law.

We will work with our European partners to ensure European Economic Area (EEA) migration works to the benefit of all and that EEA migrants are able to contribute fully to our society. We will set up two cross-departmental teams to look at these issues and will develop proposals to put to EU partners. We will maintain our robust approach to EEA nationals who abuse our welcome by committing criminal acts — and work with other Member States to strengthen our approach further. We will continue our restrictions on access to benefits for EEA nationals where they have no intention of exercising their Treaty rights, and we will work with other Member States to determine how we can improve the integration, including language skills, of EEA nationals.

We must continue to make the case for a migration system which benefits Britain while addressing the myths which sometimes surround immigration. By doing so we can address any resentment which can breed discontent and racism.

Earned citizenship

Britain is a country of liberty and tolerance, opportunity and diversity. The British people have welcomed migrants over the years, recognising that our communities and economy are stronger for their contribution. But Britain expects those who come to live here to share our values — all who live here should obey the law of the land, demonstrate proficiency in English and contribute to society.

'Integration should be the key strategy, as opposed to separate cultural development.' Redditch CLP

Because we believe that the benefits of citizenship should be matched by responsibilities and contributions to Britain we are proposing radical changes to the way newcomers are able to earn their stay in Britain. We want to ensure the path to citizenship reinforces our shared British values.

'Migration should be controlled and where migration is high, consideration is needed to how to provide the resources to ensure the services can, not just cope, but provide the level of services necessary.' Luton North CLP

We propose introducing a new staged route to citizenship which will create a new probationary period of citizenship where migrants must demonstrate their contribution to the UK at every stage or leave the country. Speaking English is vital to integrating newcomers, so migrants will have to demonstrate proficiency in English before they can pass the probationary period; until probation is completed, full access to benefits will be delayed. Consultation with the public has shown widespread support for giving migrants the chance to contribute to British life, which is why we will introduce measures to allow those who are active citizens, in communities and workplaces, to progress to citizenship more quickly.

Because the rules apply to everyone we will ensure that applicants who break the law will have to spend longer on probation and if their offence is serious enough to bring a prison sentence they will be automatically barred from becoming a citizen altogether. We will also establish a new fund, which migrants from outside the European Economic Area will be required to contribute to, which will provide extra financial help to local services experiencing change from migration.

'Learning English helps promote social integration, citizenship and understanding of employment rights.' Usdaw

English language skills have a vital role to play in promoting community cohesion and integration. Since 2001, spending on English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) has trebled and over two million people have been helped to improve their language skills. But we must make sure that ESOL makes the biggest possible contribution to improving community cohesion and integration. Labour is retargeting ESOL provision, giving promoting community cohesion the highest priority in deciding on funding. The Education and Skills document has additional information on ESOL.

Equality for all

Labour is committed to tackling unlawful discrimination and promoting equality for all. The hallmark of a decent society is one which is not marred by discrimination and inequality; and the absence of unfair discrimination helps to underpin a strong and dynamic economy which can draw on the talents of all.

Since 1997, Labour has been at the forefront of change in promoting equality for all and we have made enormous progress. Britain is now a fairer and more confident country because equality has been at the heart of what we have done. We recognise that there is more to do to attack prejudice and ensure that everyone is treated equally. We will therefore consider a range of measures, both legislative and non-legislative, to improve equality of opportunity. We cannot afford to waste the talents of our diverse communities and the talents of our people

Moving forward on equalities

We are determined to fight discrimination and ensure that everyone in Britain can make the most of their talents, regardless of their age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

Labour has made great progress towards making Britain a fairer and more equal country with a modernised framework of rights-based legislation. We repealed the discriminatory Section 28 legislation and made society fairer for gay and lesbian people, by lifting the ban on gay membership of the armed forces and equalising the age of consent.Through the introduction of civil partnerships, Labour has for the first time given legal recognition to same-sex partners. Gay and lesbian couples now have the same inheritance, pension and next-of-kin rights as married couples.

We have strenghtened legislation to improve protection against disability discrimination in employment, and to improve access for disabled people to goods, services, facilities and premises. We legislated to require all public bodies to promote disability equality. Public bodies are required to draw up and publish Disability Equality Schemes and to involve those affected by service design and delivery. We have brought in the right to request flexible working for parents of disabled children and carers.

Labour has supported a fair deal for women, including investing in training opportunities for low-skilled women, implementing the Gender Equality Duty and extending paid maternity leave to 9 months. Family rights for mothers, fathers and adoptive parents have been transformed since 1997 and there are more details on this in the Prosperity and Work Policy document.

We introduced the Racial & Religious Hatred Act to protect people who are threatened because of their religion and legislated to provide protection against age discrimination in employment and education. We have widened and strengthened the Race Relations Act to include a positive duty on public bodies to promote good race relations and legislated for aggravated sentences for racially motivated crimes.

We have ensured support for union equality representatives through the union modernisation fund as recommended by the Women & Work Commission, and have asked Acas to revise its Code of Practice on union duties and activities to reflect modern practices. We have also created the Equality and Human Rights Commission to act as a strong, independent champion to tackle discrimination and help protect individuals' rights to fair treatment.

'UNISON believes that we need discrimination law which is speedier, more effective in delivering equality for all, and which effectively challenges discrimination' UNISON

Furthermore, Labour will deliver an ambitious package of proposals for the forthcoming Equality Bill. The package will send a strong message about our commitment to a fair and equal Britain. The proposals will go beyond simplifying, streamlining and modernising discrimination law, they will enable us to make progress by providing a new structural solution to the problem of discrimination and inequality in our society. We recognise that inequality is a structural issue which is why we will move forward with proposals which will enable us to make the shift away from an approach reliant on individuals seeking remedies when they are discriminated against.

Our approach to equality includes: increasing transparency, so that people can see where there is inequality and where progress is being made in tackling it; working with the public sector who advance equality objectives in procurement; strengthening enforcement mechanisms and providing support for people to access their rights; working with the Equality and Human Rights Commission; supporting the role of union equality representatives to increase fairness at work; and considering where positive action provisions can enable faster progress to be made towards equality objectives.

Equality at work remains a pressing issue. We have made progress - since 1997 the median gender pay gap has reduced from 17.4 per cent to 12.6 per cent in 2007; in the same period the mean figure has fallen from 20.7 per cent to 17.2 per cent. On part-time work we have made progress for the first time in decades — the mean figure for the gender pay gap has fallen from 41.9 per cent in 1997 to 35.6 per cent in 2007. But there is more to do. We will be steadfast in our commitment to reducing the gender pay and opportunities gap and to reducing the chances of being out of work if you are disabled or from an ethnic minority background.

'There is a culture that discriminates against women that must be addressed. Attitudes must change and every opportunity must be taken to promote women as equal' North East Bedfordshire CLP

As clearly demonstrated in the Women and Work Commission and Ethnic Minority Employment Taskforce recommendations, we need an approach which encourages a culture change that recognises the huge economic potential of the female and ethnic minority workforce. The introduction of the minimum wage significantly reduced the pay gap at the lower end but we must go further and address other issues that can act as barriers to economic participation and to equality of opportunity in the workplace.

Labour believes there should be fairness in the workplace. We will continue to act to ensure there is equality of opportunity for all. We are committed to tackling workplace segregation and occupational segregation. We need to open every career to every person, regardless of gender, race, sexuality or disability.

Equality of representation

Labour believes in diversity of representation in all sectors of public life and we have taken measures needed to work towards equal representation of men and women in public office, as well as public bodies such as quangos. Whilst still needing to push further, Labour is the party of equality and diversity representing and delivering for women and for Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities at all levels of government and we will continue to work towards the promotion of this diversity. In Parliament we have three times as many ethnic minority MPs as the other parties put together; in local government we have consistently had more ethnic minority councillors than the main opposition parties combined; and we have the best record of any UK political party in terms of women's representation.

However, Labour is committed to continuing to increase representation of women and Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities at all levels of government to represent our diverse communities as we believe there is a democratic imperative. We will continue to tackle under-representation of women and Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, and to encourage diversity at all levels.

'It is crucial that the Government addresses the urgent need for greater political engagement by people of all ages and at national, local and community level' USDAW

Democracy underpins the fabric of our society and provides a voice for those who are vulnerable and marginalised. No vote means no voice; our democracy only works if people vote. We will continue to work to ensure that everyone can vote, including building on the progress made by with the Electoral Administration Act 2006 to ensure that as many people are registered on the electoral register as possible.

Human Rights

Labour attaches great importance to human rights. It was under a Labour Government that the UK became a founding member of the Council of Europe, which produced the European Convention on Human Rights and it was this Labour Government that ensured, through the Human Rights Act (HRA), that the rights contained in the Convention became directly enforceable in UK courts. We remain committed to the HRA and we will look at how we go further to enshrine and protect rights, including considering whether we should develop a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities to build on the HRA.

The Third Sector

Labour recognises the role that third sector organisations can play in achieving social change and building stronger, fairer communities. The continuing drive to create a fairer society lies at the heart of Labour's values - a society in which poverty is eliminated, communities can thrive, and individuals are able to use their talents to best effect.

'Social enterprises and charities have a significant role to play in ensuring an antidiscrimination culture is spread throughout society' Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)

Labour recognises the value of diversity of organisations in the third sector providing a voice for under represented groups, campaigning for change, creating strong, active and connected communities, in promoting enterprising solutions to social and environmental challenges.

We have helped underpin the work of the third sector by introducing the 2006 Charities Act, investing in the sector's capacity, and developing specific measures, such as Giftaid, to support a thriving third sector. The Third Sector Review Final Report sets out a detailed strategy to work with third sector organisations to promote social and economic regeneration and to strengthen their distinctive role in public service delivery. We are committed to new funding to promote community participation and the importance of campaigning through £117million for youth volunteering, a £50million community endowment fund and £85million more to build the sector's capacity to be a voice for its communities.

Labour recognises the importance of the role the third sector plays in helping to deliver our mutual aims and. we will continue to support and encourage the growth of a healthy and vibrant third sector helping to make our society more just and fair.

Volunteering

Labour has the vision of a society where voluntary activity flourishes and where all individuals and communities are enabled to play a full part in civil society. We recognise the importance of volunteering in building social cohesion and cutting social exclusion in our communities. Labour is committed to creating an environment where volunteering can thrive. Volunteering does not only benefit those who receive help, it benefits the volunteers as well.

Labour has established 'V', a national scheme committed to creating 500,000 volunteering opportunities for young people over the next three years. Labour will engage more young people in volunteering and community action in order to foster an increased sense of social responsibility.

We have also created a global volunteering scheme to enable young adults from less advantaged backgrounds to take part in 10 week programmes abroad with participants living and working in communities in developing countries.

In partnership with VSO, Labour has made it financially easier for public sector workers to volunteer overseas, by offering their pension contributions to be paid while they are abroad. British communities will benefit from the experience teachers, nurses and other professionals experience through volunteering when they return to the UK.

'Volunteering is a good in itself: it must not be seen as or used for a replacement for the state and services' Oxford East and Oxford West and Abingdon CLPs

Labour will continue to work in partnership with the third sector to ensure that volunteering is properly supported and encouraged. In response to the Commission on the Future of Volunteering report, Manifesto for Change, we are committed to opening up volunteering opportunities for people in all parts of society.