§ Dr. GibsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to address the shortage of probation officers in(a) Norfolk and (b) England and Wales. [41334]
§ Beverley HughesWe are actively recruiting Trainee Probation Officers in all parts of England and Wales. This is carried out by annual recruitment drives and as a consequence recruitment of trainee probation officers has trebled in size.
The next recruitment drive will commence on 18 March 2002 and will be advertised in the National Press. We are expecting to recruit 1,000 trainees across the whole Probation Service.