§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation staff were in post on 30 June, broken down by grade; and how many vacancies there were in the National Probation Service on the same date. [135998]
§ Paul GogginsThe information requested is as follows.
107W
Number of staff in post and vacancies1 England and Wales Staff in post as at 30 June
(FTE)
Vacancies as at 30 June2
(FTE)
Senior Probation Officers 1,172.90 36.10 Senior Practitioners 279.50 23.30 Probation Officers 5,073.67 323.20 Trainee Probation Officers 1,519.70 58.20 Probation Services Officers 4,925.43 326.10 Psychologists 34.00 0.50 Other operational Staff 735.00 22.70 Total Operational Staff 13,740.70 790.10 Deputy Chief Officers/Directors 41.70 2.00 Assistant Chief Officers or Equivalent 281.20 7.70 Area/District Managers or Equivalent 93.50 0.60 Manager—Section or Function Heads 374.90 10.90 Support Staff—Administration 3,533.30 199.87 Support Staff—Others 363.40 53.80 Other Specialist Workers 194.30 4.70 Total Support Staff 4,882.70 279.57 Total3 18,623.40 1,069.67 1 Figures shown as a Full-time Equivalent (FTE) 2 Unable to obtain information from 3 (out of 42) Areas in time to make this response. 3 Figures exclude those employed within and by the National Probation Directorate Note:
The levels of vacancies across the National Probation Service (NPS) amount to 5.43 per cent. of the total workforce of the service.
§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons(a) joined and (b) left the National Probation Service for England and Wales in 2002–03, broken down by grade. [135999]
§ Paul GogginsThe information requested is as follows:
England and Wales Persons joining the National Probation
Service
Number of leavers and joiners1 persons
leaving the National
Probation Service
Deputy Chief Officers 4 3 Assistant Chief Officers2 30 13 Senior Chief Officers 43 78 Probation Officers3 723 642 All other staff 2,079 1,670 Total 2,879 2,406 1 Figures shown in Headcount 2 Includes area managers 3 Includes senior practitioners, trainee probation officers, temporary probation officers
§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which probation areas in England and Wales expect a budget deficit for the current financial year; and what staffing consequences he expects as a result. [136000]
§ Paul GogginsThe following probation areas in England and Wales are currently forecasting a budget deficit in excess of one per cent. of the budget allocation:
Cumbria, Gloucestershire, Lancashire, Northamptonshire, Staffordshire, Surrey, Teesside, London and South Wales.
The National Probation Directorate is currently in discussion with these areas and they are being asked to explain the reasons for the forecast budget deficits in order that action can be taken to reduce or eliminate the deficits.
108WOther areas, which are currently forecasting a deficit below one per cent. of their budget allocation, will be expected to manage their operations in such a way that any deficit is avoided.
Overall, the probation areas are expected to spend within budget.
No staffing consequences are expected.
§ Mr. OatenTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many trainee probation officers were appointed in each of the last five years; and how many left(a) less than 12 months after appointment, (b) between one and two years after appointment and (c) between two and three years after appointment. [136003]
§ Paul GogginsIn the last five years a total of 3,269 trainee probation officers have been appointed with a further 159 due to start in January 2004 as part of the 2003 recruitment process. This will make a total of 3,374.
A total of 268 trainees were recruited in 1999; 282 in 2000; 931 in 2001; 780 in 2002; 1,113 will be the final total of the 2003 recruitment of which 954 have already commenced training.
Of the 3,269 trainees who have so far commenced or completed the training a total of 125 (3.8 per cent.) left less than 12 months after appointment and 45 (1.4 per cent.) left between one and two years after appointment.
Within the past five years a total of 1,481 trainees have completed the programme and become newly qualified officers: the most up to date information shows that of these 35 (2.4 per cent.) left the probation service between two and three years after appointment.
§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what resources he will provide to the National Probation Service to help it meet its obligations in the new sentencing plans under the Criminal Justice Bill. [136256]
§ Paul GogginsFinal decisions about both the timing of implementation of the sentencing measures in the Criminal Justice Bill, and the allocation of supporting financial provision to the National Probation Service (NPS) beyond the current financial year, have not yet been made.
The major resource demand for the NPS will arise from the implementation of custody plus. The NPS has begun recruiting additional trainee probation officers to its two-year training programme. We have allocated £11.5 million in this financial year to support this capacity building.