§ Mr. BurgonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the post of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons on the expiry of Sir David Ramsbotham's appointment; and if he will make a statement. [125552]
§ Mr. StrawI am delighted that Her Majesty the Queen has consented to an extension of the appointment of Her Majesty's Chief inspector of Prisons, Sir David Ramsbotham, until July 2001. Sir David has made a great contribution to our shared goal of ensuring that prisoners are held securely in safe, decent and healthy establishments. I am pleased that he will continue in his role beyond the expiry date of his original appointment.
393WHer Majesty's Chief Inspector of Probation, Sir Graham Smith, also retires close to the end of July 2001. Aligning the dates when both posts will be vacant, gives the Government flexibility in considering how best to ensure that the arrangements for inspection of prisons and the probation service best support closer working between the services as well as ensuring that the individual services continue to be inspected rigorously and independently as they have been. I shall be making a further statement to Parliament on this in due course.