Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Crispin Blunt and Steve Barclay

Tuesday 8th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Barclay (North East Cambridgeshire) (Con)]

10. What steps he is taking to increase the amount of time probation officers spend with offenders.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Crispin Blunt)]

We have already taken steps such as reducing the number of targets and revising national standards to increase the time spent face to face with offenders. The Ministry is taking forward the offender engagement programme of work further to cut red tape and give probation officers back their professional discretion.

[Stephen Barclay]

In July, the Justice Committee found that, under the previous Government, just 25% of probation service staff time was spent with offenders. I welcome the fact that, in Cambridgeshire, that figure has improved to more than 60%, but I urge the Government to take further steps, given that that has a crucial role in tackling reoffending.

[Mr Blunt]

I am delighted to hear of that excellent performance in Cambridgeshire. That is evidence of the good practice now flowing from freeing probation officers from the highly prescriptive target setting and performance management that led to that 24% figure. That is what happens when 60 pages of national standards are reduced to three, and professionals are supported with decent guidance and allowed to get on with doing the job to the best of their ability in the public interest.