Queen's Speech debate: Home Affairs and Justice
4th December 2008
During the debate on the Queen's Speech, David Burrowes raises his concerns about the lack of community involvement in the financial decision making process in areas such as youth justice and prison building.
Mr. David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con): Is the justice reinvestment inquiry that the Select Committee is undertaking, in which I take a particular interest, relevant not just to an informed debate among politicians but to the lack of local community involvement and ownership of issues such as youth justice and, indeed, financial decision-making, not least in the area of commissioning of prison places?
Sir Alan Beith: The hon. Gentleman is on to a very important point. Our system does not locate in one place, either nationally or locally, decisions about how money is spent. The decisions are taken by different people: some take decisions that result in more prisons, but others are taking decisions on where the money is spent—on youth work, early intervention or community sentences in particular areas, for example. The structure of financial decision making is an absolutely essential issue and the Committee is taking a close interest in it.
