Mr. Bernard Taylorasked the Home Secretary how many juvenile courts and how many magistrates courts dealing with adults have, during the period of the war, experienced a change in the personnel of their probation officers; how many probation officers are there in the service; and how many have changed their posts during the war?
§ Mr. H. MorrisonI regret that I cannot give all the information for which my hon. Friend asks, but according to the Home Office records the following changes have taken place in the Probation Service in the period of three years and four months between September 1939 and December, 1942. Seventy-two full-time officers joined His Majesty's Forces, and the vacancies, due to retirements, deaths, etc., numbered 83, making a total of 155. In some places posts were left unfilled, in other places where work has increased additional posts have been created, and over the country as a whole the loss of these 155 officers has been balanced by 187 new appointments, including 22 temporary officers. During this period 64 full-time officers transferred their services from one probation area to another, in many cases because they were selected for more responsible duties as senior or principal probation officers. At the end of last year-there were in England and Wales 636 full-time probation officers, including 22 temporary officers, and 417 part-time probation officers. Except in London the general practice is for the same officers to serve the adult as well as the juvenile courts.