text_body: --- DIVISION TITLE ---
  
  Offender Rehabilitation Bill - Decline Second Reading
  
  --- MOTION EFFECT ---
  
  
  @ MP voted no in favour of Government policies aimed at reducing re-offending, including drug appointments conditions for those released from prison and more supervision following prison sentences. 
  @ MP voted aye against Government policies aimed at reducing re-offending, including drug appointments conditions for those released from prison and more supervision following prison sentences. 
  
  The majority of MPs voted in support of the Offender Rehabilitation Bill[1].
  
  The Bill implements Government policies aimed at reducing re-offending. Many of the provisions are technical changes to probation arrangements. Notable provisions include[2]:
  
  * A new drug appointments condition for the licence or supervision period for offenders released from custody and an expansion of the existing drug testing requirement for licences to include Class B drugs. 
  * New arrangements for the designation of âresponsible officersâ in relation to the supervision of offenders as well as making it clear that the responsibility for bringing breach action lies with the public sector. 
  * New arrangements for offenders serving community orders or suspended sentence orders to obtain permission from the responsible officer or the court before changing their place of residence. 
  * Greater periods of supervision by probation services after release from prison. 
  
  
  The text of the rejected motion, the operative element of which is the "declines to give a second reading" line, was:
  
  :That this House
  :''declines'' to give a Second Reading to the Offender Rehabilitation Bill [Lords] because the implementation of the proposals in the Bill depends on the Governmentâs proposed restructuring of the Probation Service;
  :''believes'' that this proposed restructuring will see the abolition of local Probation Trusts, the fragmentation of supervision of offenders on the basis of their risk level and the commissioning of services direct from Whitehall;
  :''further believes'' that the Government has failed to provide any costings for their proposals;
  :''notes'' reports that suggest the Ministry of Justiceâs own internal risk register warns that the Governmentâs proposals could result in a high risk of an unacceptable drop in operational performance; and
  :''further declines'' to give a Second Reading to the Bill on the grounds that none of the Governmentâs proposals has been piloted nor independently evaluated, potentially resulting in an unnecessary risk to the publicâs safety.
  
  ==
  
  * [1] [http://services.parliament.uk/bills/2013-14/offenderrehabilitation.html Parliament's webpage on the Offender Rehabilitation Bill]
  * [2] [http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/lbill/2013-2014/0002/en/2014002en.htm Explanatory notes to the Offender Rehabilitation Bill]
  
  
  
  
  --- COMMENTS AND NOTES ---
  
  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  