Member

As I have said, I will go on to talk about the wider plans to release offenders earlier, but when the Government first announced those plans they made an obvious attempt to distract the media from their actual plans by giving the impression that they would introduce the mandatory chemical castration of sex offenders. What they have actually pledged to do is nothing of the sort. We intend to deliver where they have not: we want to ensure that, when appropriate, courts can impose this, and make sure that there are consequences for offenders who do not comply. The Government have pretended to do whatever is necessary to help reduce the risk posed by child sex offenders, but we actually will.