§ Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation staff left the Probation Service in England and Wales in each financial year since 1997–98, broken down by grade. [93301]
§ Hilary BennThe information requested is as follows:
Number of leavers1—England and Wales 1997 1998 1999 2000 22001–02 Deputy chief officers 4 6 1 9 7 Assistant chief officers3 31 18 18 17 75 Senior probation officers 87 84 104 313 148 Probation officers4485 465 612 593 417 Probation service officers5169 210 233 290 5— All other staff 760 729 596 429 1,266 Total 1,536 1,512 1,664 1,651 1,913 1 Figures shown in headcount and were collected for calendar years only 1997–2000 inclusive. 2 1,200 staff moved to family court welfare in April 2001. Information on specific grades of these staff are unavailable and therefore have been taken from probation officers and all other staff. 3 Includes area managers. 4 Includes senior practitioners, trainee probation officers, temporary probation officers. 5 PSOs included in other staff 2001–02 onwards.
§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the forecast spending is on investment in the Probation Service from 2003 to 2008. [98188]
§ Hilary BennThe summary budget for the National Probation Service is set out in the table.
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£ million 2002–03 2003–04 Probation Boards Revenue Grant 520.0 560.0 Hostels Revenue Grant 42.7 49.0 Probation Officer Training 42.0 53.0 Estates and Hostels Capital Programme 18.3 18.3 National Directorate Budgets 52.8 65.7 Total 675.8 746.0 The major items of capital investment are the £18.3 million on the commercial estate and hostels and investment in new information technology equipment.
Budgets for 2004–05 and 2005–06 have not yet been finalised. Budgets from 2005–06 onwards are subject to the next spending review.
§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what forecast his Department has made of the number of probation officers required to manage the caseloads of non-custodial sentences; and if he will make a statement. [98189]
§ Hilary BennThe most recent information regarding the current staff establishment of the National Probation Service is as follows:
Number Probation officers 7,506 Probation Services officers 3,566 Other staff 4,716 Source:
RDS Probation statistics 2001.
It is estimated that the provisions within the Criminal Justice Bill would require an additional 2,000 full-time equivalent probation officers and an additional 1,500 full-time equivalent Probation Services officers in the year of full implementation.
§ Mrs. BrookeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation officers were employed by the National Probation Service in each year since 1990. [98191]
§ Hilary BennThe information requested is as follows:
Numbers of probation officers1,2—England and Wales Probation officers Probation service officers Total 1990 6,909 1,791 8,700 1991 7,153 1,863 9,016 1992 7,484 1,881 9,365 1993 7,666 1,942 9,608 1994 7,776 1,971 9,747 1995 7,455 1,914 9,369 1996 7,312 1,895 9,207 1997 7,149 1,919 9,068 1998 7,193 2,027 9,220 1999 7,519 2,502 10,021 2000 7,571 2,869 10,440 2001 7,506 3,566 11,072 1 Numbers shown as whole time equivalents 2 Information shown taken at 31 December. Although the question specifically asks for the number of probation officers, the information on probation service officers has also been provided. There has been an increasing growth in the use of probation service officers to support the work undertaken by probation officers. In particular, the use of accredited programme has seen a number of low/medium risk offenders supervised as part of a group rather than on an individual basis as has occurred in the past. Probation service officers, who receive specific training to enable 123W them to manage these programmes and supervise the offenders participating, run these accredited programmes.