§ 23. Mr. GORDON MACDONALDasked the Home Secretary the number of persons placed on probation in Lancashire during 1931, 1932, 1933, and up to the latest date in 1934 for which figures are available?
§ Sir J. GILMOURThe numbers of persons placed on probation—whether discharged by courts of summary jurisdiction on recognisances with supervision under Section 2 of the Probation of Offenders Act, 1907, or committed for trial and placed on probation with supervision by courts of assize or quarter sessions—by all courts in Lancashire were as follow:
No figures are yet available for the year 1934.
Year 1931 2,324 Year 1932 2,553 Year 1933 2,570
§ Mr. MACDONALDDoes the right hon. Gentleman say that the increase is due to the effects of prolonged unemployment?
§ 24. Mr. MACDONALDasked the Home Secretary the number of probation officers, under the supervision of his Department, in Lancashire, specifying the number of full-time appointments and the number of men and women?
§ Sir J. GILMOURAccording to the latest information available, there are in Lancashire as a whole, 77 probation officers: 22 of the 49 men and eight of the 28 women are full-time officers.
§ Mr. MACDONALDDoes the right hon. Gentleman consider this work sufficiently important to increase the number of full-time officers?
§ Sir J. GILMOURI think the numbers are sufficient, though the proper proportions will have to be reviewed from time to time.
§ Mr. MACDONALDIs the Home Office discouraging full-time employment?
§ Sir J. GILMOURNo, I do not think it is our object to do that.
§ 25. Mr. MACDONALDasked the Home Secretary the number of probation officers in Lancashire whose salaries are wholly, or partly, paid by a religious organisation?
§ Sir J. GILMOURThere are 30 full-time officers; none has his or her salary wholly paid by a religious organisation, and nine have one-third of their salaries so paid. I regret that similar information about the 47 part-time officers is not available.
§ Mr. MACDONALDDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think it would make for better work if no religious organisations were to pay any part of the salaries?