Criminal Justice Act 2003

325 Arrangements for assessing etc risks posed by certain offenders

(1) In this section—

• “relevant sexual or violent offender” has the meaning given by section 327;

• “responsible authority”, in relation to any area, means the chief officer of police, the local probation board for that area and the Minister of the Crown exercising functions in relation to prisons, acting jointly.

(2) The responsible authority for each area must establish arrangements for the purpose of assessing and managing the risks posed in that area by—

(a) relevant sexual and violent offenders, and

(b) other persons who, by reason of offences committed by them (wherever committed), are considered by the responsible authority to be persons who may cause serious harm to the public.

(3) In establishing those arrangements, the responsible authority must act in co-operation with the persons specified in subsection (6); and it is the duty of those persons to co-operate in the establishment by the responsible authority of those arrangements, to the extent that such co-operation is compatible with the exercise by those persons of their functions under any other enactment.

(4) Co-operation under subsection (3) may include the exchange of information.

(5) The responsible authority for each area (“the relevant area”) and the persons specified in subsection (6) must together draw up a memorandum setting out the ways in which they are to co-operate.

(6) The persons referred to in subsections (3) and (5) are—

(a) every youth offending team established for an area any part of which falls within the relevant area,

(b) the Ministers of the Crown exercising functions in relation to social security, child support, war pensions, employment and training,

(c) every local education authority any part of whose area falls within the relevant area,

(d) every local housing authority or social services authority any part of whose area falls within the relevant area,

(e) every registered social landlord which provides or manages residential accommodation in the relevant area in which persons falling within subsection (2)(a) or (b) reside or may reside,

(f) every Health Authority or Strategic Health Authority any part of whose area falls within the relevant area,

(g) every Primary Care Trust or Local Health Board any part of whose area falls within the relevant area,

(h) every NHS trust any part of whose area falls within the relevant area, and

(i) every person who is designated by the Secretary of State by order for the purposes of this paragraph as a provider of electronic monitoring services.

(7) The Secretary of State may by order amend subsection (6) by adding or removing any person or description of person.

(8) The Secretary of State may issue guidance to responsible authorities on the discharge of the functions conferred by this section and section 326.

(9) In this section—

• “local education authority” has the same meaning as in the Education Act 1996 (c. 56);

• “local housing authority” has the same meaning as in the Housing Act 1985 (c. 68);

• “Minister of the Crown” has the same meaning as in the Ministers of the Crown Act 1975 (c. 26);

• “NHS trust” has the same meaning as in the National Health Service Act 1977 (c. 49);

• “prison” has the same meaning as in the Prison Act 1952 (c. 52);

• “registered social landlord” has the same meaning as in Part 1 of the Housing Act 1996 (c. 52);

• “social services authority” means a local authority for the purposes of the Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 (c. 42).