BR 13/2008
JMcK/JH

25 February 2008

To: Branch Chairs and Secretaries
CAFCASS Co-Convenors (for information)

Dear Colleague

Probation Service – Budget Increase

Napo has been informed that over the weekend Ministerial action has been taken to ensure a significant increase in the Probation Service budget.

Although we are still awaiting the precise details, Roger Hill has assured us that it is “substantial new money” from the Treasury and that the increase will be sufficient to fill all vacancies, stop redundancies and employ all TPOs.

The increase will need to be at least £40m this coming year to reverse the impact of the flat cash settlement, which effectively meant a 5% cut, and we will also need to see the size of the increase for the following two years.

It is not yet clear when we will have a statement with more information but branches will be notified as soon as we hear.

Clearly the crisis in the Prison Service and Jack Straw’s request to magistrates to increase the use of community sentences brought matters to a head. It was helped by the fact that this received a chorus of voices, not just ours, saying that Probation was also full.

I attach for information a copy of a letter I sent to Jack Straw on Friday, itself enclosing a copy of a letter I sent to the Guardian.

We have been told that Jack Straw is now assured of the effectiveness of the Probation Service and was impressed by the recent NAO Report on Community Sentences.

More information will follow, and clearly we need to see the details, but it sounds like good news!

Yours sincerely,

Judy McKnight

General Secretary