Oral Answers to Questions

Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton Excerpts

Tuesday 15th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Blunt]

Of course public protection is an absolute priority. We inherited good MAPPA—multi-agency public protection arrangements—from the previous Administration to deal with the sort of offenders who are released from Wakefield. It is right that probation services and all other agencies that are involved in MAPPA are closely engaged in delivering public protection with regard to such offenders.

[Mark Lancaster (Milton Keynes North) (Con)]

I have visited the probation service in Milton Keynes and pay tribute to its tremendous work. Under the previous Government, however, the number of staff at headquarters ballooned, while front-line staff numbers remained static or even reduced. Might this Government reverse that trend?

[Mr Blunt]

Yes.