HC Deb 18 May 2000 vol 350 c215W
Mr. Pollard

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the level of recruitment and retention of probation officers. [122309]

Mr. Boateng

During 1999, there have been significant increases of four per cent. in the number of probation officers in post and of seven per cent. in the number of other probation service staff in post (whole-time equivalent in both cases). The increase in probation officers is due largely to more than doubling the number of trainee probation officers in the year.