HC Deb 02 February 1995 vol 253 cc801-2W
Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) probation orders, (b) community service orders and (c) combination orders were held by the probation service in England and Wales on (i) 30 June 1992, (ii) 30 June 1993 and (iii) 30 June 1994.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

Information relating to 31 December is published annually in "Probation Statistics England and Wales"—table 1.3 of the 1993 issue—copies of which are in the Library. The table gives the information for 30 June; figures for 1994 are not yet available.

Persons supervised by the probation service, England and Wales
30 June 1992 30 June 1993
Probation orders 51,884 46,695
Community service orders 30,807 36,180
Combination orders Nil1 5,072
1 Introduced on 1 October 1992.

Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many posts he estimates were lost from the probation service in England and Wales during the financial years 1993–94 and 1994–95.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

Information recorded in probation services returns of staff establishment shows an increase of about 570 posts between 31 March 1993 and 30 June 1994, the latest date for which information is currently available.

1993. Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation service officers or their equivalent were employed by the probation service in England and Wales in(a) 1970, (b) 1980, (c) 1990 and (d)

Mr. Nicholas Baker

The number of probation services' officers—formerly ancillaries—employed by probation services in England and Wales since 1980 is as follows:

  • 1980: 913
  • 1990: 1,918
  • 1993: 2,104

Information about 1970 is not readily available in the form requested.

Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff and at what levels were employed by the probation service in England and Wales on 30 June 1991, 30 June 1992, 30 June 1993 and 30 June 1994.

Mr. Nicholas Baker

The information is given in the table.

Staff employed by probation services in England and Wales, in post at 30 June, full time or part time, by grade and type.
Probation Officers 30 June 1991 30 June 1992 30 June 1993 30 June 1994
Chief 55 55 55 54
Deputy and assistant chief 230 252 268 270
Senior 1,152 1,195 1,261 1,274
Main grade 5,747 6,013 6,294 6,419
Total 7,184 7,515 7,878 8,017
Non-probation grade staff
Probation services officers1 1,955 2,043 2,116 2,145
Clerical/secretarial 4,407 4,553 4,697 4,735
Administrative 689 745 832 936
Other non-probation grade staff2 3,088 3,095 3,131 3,011
Hostel staff 843 981 1,141 1,187
Total non-probation grade staff 10,982 11,417 11,917 12,014
Total probation staff 18,166 18,932 19,795 20,031
1 Formerly ancillaries
2 Figures include sessional supervisors on community service schemes, staff employed in student training units and on miscellaneous functions.

Figures exclude hostel staff.

1994. Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average number of court reports compiled per qualified probation officer in England and Wales in(a) 1992, (b) 1993 and (c)

Mr. Nicholas Baker

The average number of reports completed per main grade probation officer was 52.5 in 1992 and 51.1 in 1993—table 12.3 of "Probation Statistics, England and Wales 1993". The information for 1994 is not yet available. The figures for probation officers are on the basis of whole-time equivalents of established main grade probation officers on field work duties excluding temporary and trainee officers.