Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to eliminate barriers to third sector provision of probation services.

Voluntary and third sector organisations play a critical role in supporting rehabilitation and helping offenders turn their lives around. The Ministry of Justice is working closely with Clinks, the umbrella group for third sector organisations in criminal justice, to ensure we harness the full range of expertise and experience in the sector as part of the future probation system. This includes plans for a Dynamic Framework which will allow the National Probation Service (and other commissioners) to directly commission services in a way that encourages the participation of smaller suppliers and is responsive to the needs of local areas. We will set out further information shortly regarding services to be commissioned through the Dynamic Framework.