HC Deb 13 January 2000 vol 342 c216W
Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce the Private Finance Initiative into the future development of the Probation Estate in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [104742]

Mr. Boateng

No decisions have been taken about the future financing of the Probation Estate in England and Wales as a whole and a range of options, including the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), will be considered in due course. Local PFI initiatives are currently being considered for probation services in Mid Glamorgan, Avon and Essex.

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to centralise the Probation Estate; and if he will make a statement. [104741]

Mr. Boateng

The plan to centralise the Probation Estate will be developed as part of the arrangements to modernise the Probation Service in England and Wales. Details are not yet available.

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to out-source clerical and administrative support for the Probation Service in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [104740]

Mr. Boateng

I have no current plans for out-sourcing this work.

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the report commissioned by his Department into the case for the centralisation of the Probation Service estate in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [104744]

Mr. Boateng

The decision to centralise ownership and management of the Probation Service estate was not dependent on the survey of the Probation Service estate, a copy of the report on which will be placed in the Library in due course.

Mr. Simon Hughes

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a revised case recording and management system for the Probation Service in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [104743]

Mr. Boateng

A project is currently under way to redevelop the current case recording and management system for the Probation Services for England and Wales, involving representatives of these Services. A project board has been established; a user requirement has been produced and a specialist Information Technology project manager has been recruited.