Government must hire ex-young offenders, says prisons minister

Hanson was speaking at a fringe meeting at last week's Labour Party conference on how to get more young people with criminal convictions into work. He called for a "culture change" and said the government itself must do more.

"I'm aware the government is the biggest employer in Great Britain today and I don't think we're doing enough to help that culture change or put forward approaches in terms of how employment opportunities are raised," he said. Hanson said the key was to look at how government can raise education opportunities for young adult offenders in and out of prison and said prisons needed to create stronger links with potential employers.

He said he knew people who had been to prison after "making mistakes" and ended up unable to find work because they were labelled as offenders. He called for businesses and the government itself to change their attitudes.

"I'm acutely conscious we're working with the voluntary sector and private sector yet at the same time we're not putting it into what government itself does," he said. "I hope in two years' time I can be talking on how government has performed better in its approach of employing former young offenders."

Ruth Cadbury, chair of the Barrow Cadbury Trust, said young adult offenders under 23 years old should not have to disclose a criminal conviction on job application forms, unless it is a violent or sexual offence.

"Research has shown that if ex-offenders manage to hold down a job by 23 then they are unlikely to offend again," she said. "It seems as a society we are doing everything in our power to see that those who have been in prison go back. It's not in the interests of young people, the exchequer or those who are victims."

Hanson said he would consider Cadbury's proposal but warned that there were risks attached to it that had to be assessed.