HC Deb 26 April 1999 vol 330 cc71-2W
28. Mr. David Heath

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans to reform the Probation Service. [80979]

Kate Hoey

Following a public consultation, we have decided to create a new, unified Probation Service for England and Wales, comprising 42 local operational areas that will match the police force area boundaries. The new Service will include the following key elementsThe day-to-day running and management of the service in each area will be, as now, in the hands of chief probation officers, but they will be employed and appointed by the Home Office; and led by a Director; A local Probation Board will supervise the work of the service in each area within the national framework; The Chairman of each Board will be appointed and paid by the Home Office, and the appointment of individual members of Boards will be approved by the Home Office; Chief Probation Officers will be members of these Boards; The Boards will have a more strategic role and a more diverse composition, and will be more representative of the wider criminal justice system and the wider community; The Boards will employ, as probation committees do now, the remainder of the probation service staff. There will be a light regional touch, which the Prison Service is also planning to reflect in its future management structure, enabling that Service to match groups of police force areas; The new Probation Service will be entirely funded by central Government, ending the current arrangements whereby local authorities make a contribution of 20 per cent.; The Home Secretary of the day will take full responsibility for the performance of the service and be accountable to Parliament for it; and The Home Secretary of the day will take greater powers to direct necessary outcomes and standards of service delivery.

Some elements of these proposals require primary legislation which will be introduced when Parliamentary time permits. With the Lord Chancellor and the Secretaries of State for Health and for Wales, I have also been considering the future organisation of court welfare services, including work that is currently undertaken by the probation services for the family courts. We expect to announce decisions on the way forward shortly.