§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of whether the PSA target to increase the efficiency of the Probation Service will be met by March. [47222]
§ Beverley Hughes[holding answer 10 April 2002]: Overall, the budgets of assumed probation boards, in line with the public service agreement, that efficiency savings to the value of three per cent. would be achieved. The total amount distributed to boards was based on the national forecast of workload. Providing actual workload is in line with this forecast, the target will be achieved.
434WIn addition, the 42 local probation boards have been asked to report to the National Probation Directorate on the achievement of their efficiency savings. This information is currently being collated. The boards will also be required to report on the achievement of their efficiency savings for 2001–02 in their annual reports. A summary will also be included in the annual report and accounts of the National Probation Service.
Work has now been commissioned on developing the new comprehensive model for measuring efficiency savings taking into account the considerable changes that are being made to the arrangements for dealing with offenders, such as the introduction of accredited programmes. The provisional completion date for this work is June 2002.