§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government have for making a more concerted national network of probation service projects for offenders, in place of the current localised system.
§ Mr. John Patten[holding answer 6 June 1989]: Steps are being taken to introduce more consistency in the work of the probation service and to disseminate good practice to all probation areas. National standards for the operation of community service orders were brought into effect in April, and all probation areas have been asked to develop action plans for the supervision of young adult offenders within guidelines issued by the Home Office. Ten probation areas have been invited to set up intensive probation projects which will be monitored centrally. Practice guidelines were issued to the probation service in 1988 on accommodation for offenders and the care for young offenders sentenced to custody.
The Government are considering developments in the probation service in the light of proposals made in the Carlisle report on parole and the Home Office's Green Paper "Punishment, Custody and the Community".