Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the HM Inspectorate of Probation report of 16 March 2021, Race equality in probation: the experiences of black, Asian and minority ethnic probation service users and staff, what steps he is taking to (a) implement the recommendations of the Lammy Review, (b) improve training for probation staff to better address workplace race issues identified in the report and (c) improve the diversity of the probation workforce.

A detailed response and action plan for the HMI Probation report was completed in May 2021, and subsequently updated in October 2021. The Action Plan includes steps to improve training for probation staff to better address workplace race issues and is available on-line.

Actions yet to be complete on the Lammy Review relate to recommendations 28 and 29, which focus on developing a more representative workforce and leadership and will need to remain open for some time as they involve long term targets. A detailed update on progress against all the recommendations of the Lammy Review was published in 2018, and again in 2020.

The HMPPS Race Action Programme is improving training to address race issues and will be piloted in probation, prison, and youth custody settings by March 2022 with a fuller rollout planned for later in the year.

A target has been set for the diversity in the HMPPS workforce, covering those in probation, at 14%. Good progress has been made within the Probation service against this target with current statistics showing representation at 16%, though there is a geographical variation to this which must be addressed. To achieve these targets, and attract candidates from ethnic minority backgrounds, efforts include targeted marketing and engagement, and the monitoring of applications from those with protected characteristics to learn where processes can be adapted.