§ Mr. ReesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will outline the appellate procedure available to a probation officer who is dissatisfied with the point of salary grading determined locally.
§ Mr. John PattenThe joint negotiating committee for the probation service makes recommendations to the Secretary of State who determines the conditions of service of probation officers by virtue of paragraph 18A of schedule 3 to the Powers of the Criminal Courts Act 1973. The existing terms and conditions are set out in the code of conditions of service of probation officers. Each probation committee has a grievance procedure which all probation officers employed by it are made aware of. The code contains a model grievance procedure for the guidance of committees. In addition, where there is a complaint of unreasonable exercise of any discretion granted to probation committees in the code, the national conciliation function of the joint negotiating committee may be invoked.