§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to ensure that all magistrates consult with the probation service into whose care a person is to be placed before putting a person on probation.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsCourts have been advised that a social inquiry report should normally be obtained before a probation order is made. It is best left to the court to decide in the circumstances of the particular case whether414W there should be consultation with the probation service thereafter.
§ Mr. McNamaraasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will take steps to ensure that when a person is placed on probation the probation officer will not be expected to enforce an order containing a specifically punitive element.
§ Mrs. Shirley WilliamsIt is for the court to decide whether to include in a probation order such requirements as may be consistent with the relevant statutory provisions and with the purposes and methods of probation. These include the establishment of a satisfactory relationship between the probationer and his probation officer.