§ Maria EagleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department who has been appointed as the next HM Chief Inspector of Probation; and if he will make a statement. [160597]
§ Mr. StrawRecruitment for the post of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Probation has been run under Commissioner for Public Appointments guidelines following advertisements in the national press. The choice of candidates has been guided by an advisory panel including two independent assessors. As we announced on 6 April 2001,Official Report, column 357W, these were Baroness Stern, former Director of the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders and now Senior Research Fellow at the International Centre for Prison Studies, and Lord Laming, former Chief Inspector of the Social Services Inspectorate.
From the candidates selected by the advisory panel, I have decided to appoint Professor Rodney Morgan as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Probation. Professor Morgan is Director of the Centre of Criminology, Criminal Justice Faculty of Law at Bristol University and a member of the Parole Board.
I am delighted that Professor Morgan has accepted this appointment, which will take effect from 1 August 2001. Through their expertise and rigour of approach the probation inspectorate has provided a major contribution to building a National Probation Service capable of providing the highest standards of service. I am confident that Professor Morgan will continue that tradition.