Justice Week 8-12 December 2008

December 24, 2007

John McDonnell speaking at Probation Cuts Rally

John McDonnell MP, Secretary of the Justice Unions Parliamentary Group, opened Napo's Rally in Parliament against the Probation Cuts.

John urged all Napo members to contact their constituency MPs with information on the real impact of the cuts.

He said "Today is about explaining to people the consequences of the scale of cutbacks in our overall budget. Because if you look at the briefing note we’ve circulated the detail of it is absolutely critical for us. It’s not just about the global figures – a couple of hundred million over the next few years, a billion overall – it isn’t just about that. We’ve got to explain to them what it means in terms of their local area and their constituencies and their communities and their individual residents, and what sort of services will go. Because I’ve looked at the figures and I can’t see how in the way our budget is structured that they can get away without some form of job cuts. That’s the nature of our budget. It is about staff."

Download John's speech in full below.

Download file

As a focus, members are urged to continue to write to MPs over the next few weeks asking them to sign early day motions 470 and 528 – a standard letter can be downloaded below. EDM 470 currently has 60 signatures and 528 has 44 - Get your MP to sign as soon as the House returns on 7 January, if they haven't already done so.

Download letter

You can follow the progress of the EDMs and check if your MP has already signed by clicking here - just type in the EDM number.

If you don't know who your MP is you can find them using your postcode click here

Posted by kfalcon at 12:51 PM

December 14, 2007

Ask your MP to support Probtion EDMs

There are now two Early Day Motions down in Parliament.

The first EDM 470 - put down by Niel Gerrard MP

"That this House believes that the Probation Service in England and Wales must be properly funded in order to carry out its statutory duties, believes that the cuts scheduled for the next three financial years will result in a loss of staff and a deterioration in the quality of services, and urges Her Majesty’s Government to review these budget proposals.”

Currently has 56 signatures.

The second EDM 528 - put down by Edward Garnier MP

“That this house believes that the Probation Service in England and Wales must be permitted to carry out its statutory duties unhindered by unnecessary Government interference; further believes that National Offender Management Service bureaucracy is of questionable value and that the Government’s management of the Probation Service has been inadequate and the cause of loss of staff and staff morale and of a deterioration in the quality of services and the level of protection to the public; and therefore urges Her Majesty’s Government to review its policies with regard to the Probation Service.”

Currently has 39 signatures.

Members are urged to continue to write to MPs over the next few weeks asking them to sign both motions – a standard letter can be downloaded below.

Download letter

You can follow the progress of the EDMs and check if your MP has already signed by clicking here - just type in the EDM number.

If you don't know who your MP is you can find them using your postcode click here

Posted by kfalcon at 10:05 AM

December 13, 2007

Successful Rally - 12 December

Over 150 members and guests attended the rally on 12 December. They were addressed by MPs and Peers of all Parties.

Speakers were universal in their condemnation of the cuts and the impossible position into which Probation staff were being put.

The rally was opened by John McDonnell MP (speaking above), who praised Napo’s campaign in fighting NOMS, and felt a strategy involving a broad alliance of support could win the day.

Support for Napo

He was supported by Elfyn Llwyd MP (Plaid Cymru), Lord Ramsbotham, Mike Wood MP (Lab), Baroness Gibson (Lab), Baroness Linklater (Lib Dem), Colin Burgon MP (Lab), Edward Garnier (Con), Lord Navnit Dholakia (Lib Dem), Diane Abbott MP (Lab), Jeremy Browne (Lib Dem) and finally by Neil Gerrard MP, Chair of the all Party Justice Unions Parliamentary Group.

There were also contributions from Brian Strutton, GMB, Paul Noon, Prospect, Matthew Lay, Unison, Kay Carberry TUC, Deb Coles from Inquest and Frances Crook from the Howard League.

A number of branches also contributed and gave the rally details of the cuts in their Area. These included West Yorkshire, South Wales, Leicestershire, Cheshire, Sussex and Merseyside.

Fuller details and pictures will appear in the next issue of Napo News. We will also be putting some more pictures and some of the speeches on the Napo website over the next few days.

Posted by kfalcon at 04:25 PM

December 07, 2007

Probation Cuts EDM tabled

MPs of all parties have put down an Early Day Motion on the Probation Budget Cuts. It is EDM 470

The purpose of the EDM is to give MPs a focus and to give the Government the opportunity to revisit its decision on the cuts.

Action

If you ARE attending the rally, please ask your MP to sign EDM 470 when you meet with them.

If you are not going to the rally you are urged to write to your MP asking them to sign.

You can download a model letter here.

If you don't know who your MP is you can find them using your postcode click here

Posted by kfalcon at 01:54 PM