Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by the Secretary of State for Justice on 6 December (HC Deb, col 110) concerning the comprehensive review of the probation system, why the review will not be completed until April 2017; whether they intend to provide an update on the interim findings; and whether the findings of the final review will be published.

The review is considering how well the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms have worked and what changes, if any, are necessary to deliver the policy objectives of reducing reoffending and protecting the public. The timescales for the review reflect its broad scope and the need for close engagement with probation providers. The internal review will inform our more detailed plans which we will publish shortly after the review.