Calling Notice

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 1st Aug 2003

Before returning to the House of Commons at the end of the parliamentary recess, Annette Brooke MP will spend two days on an official visit to Helsinki, Finland with colleagues from the Lib Dem home affairs team.

The aim of the visit is to learn more about the Finnish prison system and treatment of offenders. Finland has a long and successful history of non-custodial sentences, including drug rehabilitation, education and training for offenders. The visit programme includes meetings at the Finnish Ministry of Justice, the National Crime Prevention Centre, the Probation Service and a visit to a young offenders institution.

Prior to leading for the Liberal Democrats on the Committee Stage of the Sexual Offences Bill, Mrs. Brooke will also meet Finnish officials to discuss matters relating to the age of consent.

Commenting on the purpose of the visit, Annette Brooke said:

"This visit to Finland is to look at effective punishments and treatments of offenders, particularly young offenders, and also to look at preventative measures - such as early year's education and youth programmes - which have proven preventative benefits."

"All summer, the news has been of the highest ever number of prisoners in our prisons causing massive overcrowding, a record number of suicides in prison - particularly of women. Prison Service reports record numbers of dangerous and threatening 'incidents' occurring inside our prisons on a weekly basis."

"It costs £32,000 per prisoner per year to be incarcerated, and yet two thirds of prisoners go on to re-offend within two years of release. The rate is higher among younger offenders and numbers of convictions are increasing massively. Prison is not working. We need to look at other solutions."