§ 4. Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEasked the Home Secretary how many probation officers there are in England and Wales; and how many have, as agents of voluntary societies, been required as a condition of appointment as agents to be communicating members of the Church of England?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe Register of Probation Officers for 1926 shows that there were last year 891 probation officers in England and Wales, about one-fourth of whom give their whole time to probation and similar work. Two hundred and sixty-three of them belong to societies, including the Police Court Mission of the Church of England, the Church Army and Salvation. Army. I have no information as to the second part of the question.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSHas there been any noticeable increase in the number of these officers during the past 18 months?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSYes, more have been appointed since the Criminal Justice Act was passed.
§ Mr. SHEPHERDIs any standard of training required for these officers?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSAs the House knows, under the Act the appointments are made by the magistrates in the different counties and while the Home Office is endeavouring to increase the technical knowledge of probation officers they are not directly appointed by us.
§ Mr. SHEPHERDBut pressure is being brought to bear to see that they have adequate training?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSYes, certainly.
§ 5 and 6. Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEasked the Home Secretary (1) whether, in view of the financial inducement to probation committees to appoint agents 556 of voluntary societies as probation officers, he will draw the attention of probation committees to the danger of the imposition of religious tests as involved in such appointments, and referred to by the Departmental Committee on the Treatment of Young Offenders;
(2) how many petty sessional divisions have not yet appointed probation officers under the Criminal Justice Act, 1925; and whether, in view of the recommendation of the Departmental Committee on the Treatment of Young Offenders, he will issue a circular to magistrates suggesting that in future all vacancies for probation officers should be advertised, and that no candidate should be appointed until after a personal interview by the probation committee for the area concerned?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSAbout 100 Petty Sessional Divisions have not yet appointed probation officers, but in many of these instances the question is under consideration in connection with the new arrangements being made under Part I of the Criminal Justice Act, 1925. The observations of the Departmental Committee to which reference is made are receiving my consideration, but Parliament has definitely sanctioned the appointment of officers of religious or charitable organisations.
§ Mr. PETHICK- LAWRENCEDoes that imply that these officers are subject to religious tests?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSCertainly. Parliament passed a law stating that it should be lawful to appoint as a probation officer the agent of a voluntary society like the Church Army, the Salvation Army or the Police Court Mission, and it is open to the officials of those societies to make any conditions they please. Then it is open to the magistrates either to appoint or not to appoint the agents of those societies. I should like to say for myself that the Home Office are strongly in favour of appointing men to do this work who are not merely technical experts, but are working on a religious basis.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSAre we to understand that the persons responsible for these appointments will discriminate between those who have had religious instruction and those who lead religious lives?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThose who make the appointments can appoint whom they like. It is open to them to appoint an agent of a society or a complete stranger. We have no power to insist either one way or the other.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSMay I press the right hon. Gentleman further? Is it the case that as long as these applicants have had religious instruction and can pass a certain test on those lines they can be possible and potential probation officers?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThere is no test at all as to religious instruction. It is the magistrates who make the appointment and they can, if they like, appoint an atheist. I have no power to prevent that, but Parliament has given them the right to appoint as probation officers men who have been previously agents of religious societies.
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEThe point which I want to put to the right hon. Gentleman is not merely whether there is a religious test or not. Does he imply that these societies have the right to put a sectarian test to their servants before those servants can be appointed to the posts?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI think the hon. Member is under a misapprehension. The society, of course, can apply any sectarian test they like, but the magistrates can make no such test at all. They can take an atheist, if they will, or somebody who has passed the sectarian test of a society. There is no compulsion on them to appoint anyone in particular, nor have they any power to make any test at all.