Justice Week 8-12 December 2008

October 31, 2006

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 October 31, 2006 03:50 PM