Justice Week 8-12 December 2008

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October 31, 2006

Keep Napo in the know

We would be grateful if members could log in contact with their MP and also to let us have feedback on the response. Please use the special form which can be downloaded below to keep us up to date. Complete, save and return it to kfalcon@napo.org.uk Many thanks.

Download file

Posted by kfalcon at 04:03 PM

Probation Boards Changes - update

Opposition is growing to Statutory Instrument 2664 which amends the Local Probation Boards Regulations by reducing the quorum for Boards from 7 to 5 (a precursor to smaller Boards) and undermines local accountability by removing the conditon that Boards have 4 magistrates and 2 local authority representatives as members.

In the Commons

Neil Gerrard has written to all MPs asking them to support a prayer, EDM 2784, calling for the Local Probation Boards (Appointment and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2006) be annulled.”

MPs supporting the Prayer so far are

The prayer means that the SI will have to go to a ‘whipped delegate legislation committee’ giving MPs the chance to raise objections. To date 33 MPs – from across all parties – have signed the EDM. This is very high for a prayer.

Ask your MP to support the Prayer - EDM 2784

Find your MP

In the Lords

The House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee
has been brought the amendment to the Regulations to the attention of the House, saying:

“These Regulations revise the composition of Local Probation Boards, removing the requirement for them to include four magistrates and two members of a local authority. The original Explanatory Memorandum gave no adequate explanation for this change or how it would affect the rehabilitation of offenders and the service provided to the community. We thus sought supplementary information from the Home Office, published in the Appendix. From it we note the Government’s intention to legislate to abolish Local Probation Boards as soon as parliamentary time allows. The Boards are a comparatively recent innovation, established by the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000. We question both the policy benefits and use of parliamentary time in making these regulations, if the Boards are soon to be abolished.”A

It is unusual for complaints to be made about statutory instruments.

We will keep members advised of progress.

Posted by kfalcon at 03:50 PM

October 24, 2006

Urgent constituency meetings

All members are being asked by Napo to write to their MPs immediately to seek a meeting with them in their constituency on the weekends of 17/18 November or 24/25 November.

It is essential that MPs are told that the Bill:

- Will lead to the end of the National Probation Service
- Will abolish the requirement for magistrates or councillors to sit on Probation Boards
- Will turn Boards into business-like Trusts
- Will lead to fierce competition and the lack of cooperation
- That a partnership model, such as that which exists in Scotland, will be preferable.

Here is a standard letter

you can use. Please feel free to personalise it.

If you don’t know who your MP is you can either find them here at
or email Kath Falcon at Chivalry Road. Let Kath have the name of your constituency if you know it or failing that your full postcode.

Posted by kfalcon at 03:26 PM

MPs briefed on Probation Boards Changes

A Statutory Instrument (SI No 2664) was laid before Parliament earlier this month, to enable significant changes to the membership and work of the 42 Probation Boards in England and Wales.

The proposed ‘Local Probation Boards (Appointment and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2006’ introduces three changes, all of which are unnecessary and will be damaging. They are:

- To reduce the quorum from 7 to 5. In Napo’s view this is a precursor to smaller Boards.
- To remove the condition that four members of the current 15 strong Board should be magistrates.
- To take away the necessity that two local authority members sit on Boards.

The changes will undermine local accounability and the historical links of the Service with both the magistrates courts and the local community, which are central to the Probation work.

The Regulations are due to come into force on 1 November. Neil Gerrard MP, on behalf of the Justice Unions Parliamentary Group, has laid down what is known in Parliament as ‘a Prayer’ to annul the Instrument and a briefing from both Napo and the PBA has been sent to all MPs with a letter, from the JUPG, asking them to support the Prayer. You can download a copy of the Napo briefing here. Watch this space for information on progress.

Posted by kfalcon at 03:15 PM

October 19, 2006

The Bill is back - Stop the Bill!

Stop the Bill campaign launched

We now know that the NOMS Bill WILL be in the Queen’s Speech on 15 November. Napo also understands that the Bill itself will be published on 23 November.

If this Bill is agreed by Parliament, then probation work, particularly interventions, including unpaid work and many accredited programmes, will immediately be the subject of competition with voluntary and private sector providers.

The Government have now also stated that not all Probation Boards would become public Probation Trusts. Probation Boards which were deemed to be “under performing” would either be contracted out or subject to contestability.

It is therefore clear that if this legislation is agreed, the concept of the Probation Service as a national public service and as a profession would cease to exist.

Over the coming weeks Napo will be working with the Justice Unions Parliamentary Group and lobbying MPs to secure amendments and to force a vote on key clauses.

The structure of the clauses in the Bill will not be known until it is published, and branches will be informed immediately, but it is essential that we start lobbying MPs nationally, and particularly locally NOW.

LOCAL LOBBYING

A National lobby of parliament is planned for 29 November(more details to follow) but key to the success of our campaign will be local lobbying by Napo members of their own MPs in their constituencies.

We are therefore asking all members to contact their MPs and to arrange to lobby them locally in their surgeries on either Friday/Saturday 17/18 or 24/25 November.

Briefing material and model letters will be sent out via branches and made available on the website over the coming weeks. Members will also be sent a series of Stop the Bill bulletins via branches. Download bulletin No1 here.

But essentially the campaign starts now!

CAMPAIGN TIMETABLE
Monday 23 October	Briefing on the Bill available
Monday 30 October	Model letter to MPs available
During November (check with branch for details)	Regional and Branch meetings on the Bill with national Officers/Officials
Monday 20 November	Press launch of campaign and briefing packs
23 November	Publication of Bill expected
Friday/Saturday 17/18 November 24/25 November	Members to lobby MPs locally – write in advance to seek meetings, Keep Napo informed.
Wednesday 29 November	NATIONAL LOBBY ON THE BILL HOUSE OF COMMONS