Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mary Glindon and Crispin Blunt

Tuesday 15th May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab)]

18. What progress he has made on reform of probation services.

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

On 27 March the Government published a consultation entitled “Punishment and Reform: Effective Probation Services”, which is looking at a wide range of options for service improvements. Alongside it is a consultation on the overhaul of community sentences, aimed at delivering effective and credible punishments. We will publish our response to both consultations in the autumn.

[Mr Blunt]

The hon. Lady raises the proper concerns associated with the scheme: that is why it is a trial and a pilot. We will assess it, and the London Probation Trust will help other probation trusts come to a conclusion on the merits of such supervision.

[Mrs Glindon]

Northumbria Probation Trust has received the best inspection result of any trust from Her Majesty’s inspectorate of probation. How will the Secretary of State ensure that probation trusts continue to be effective in protecting the public and reducing reoffending following the probation review, which proposes that offender management be fragmented across a wider range of providers?

[Mr Blunt]

Improvement of offender management for all our offenders is absolutely at the heart of the probation review. With the proposed reorganisation of probation we will be getting much greater offender management, with a focus by the probation service on reducing reoffending among those receiving community sentences. The outcome of our proposals will therefore be a very much improved offender management picture right across the country.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mary Glindon and Crispin Blunt

Tuesday 8th November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab)]

Given that probation trusts are experiencing major cuts in their budgets, can the Minister explain how he expects them to do more for less?

[Mr Blunt]

Probation trusts have been relatively well protected given the current environment. The additional cuts are at least 13% less than the overall cut in the Ministry of Justice budget, which shows that we are making the protection of the front line a priority in order to ensure that services are delivered effectively. However, like everyone else, probation trusts will have to make their contribution to rescuing our nation’s economy from the wretched mess in which it was left by the last Administration.