It is planned that EVERY MP in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be visited in their constituency by at least one representative from one union over the weekend of December 12th. As a basic start each union will be given 100 MPs and be asked to arrange meetings with them. This will not prevent members of other unions joining in a joint delegation - more details soon.

Meanwhile write to your MP now about Justice Week.

The trade unions will be inviting scores of speakers to address lobbyists, including MPs and Peers from all Parties, pressure groups, academics and others who support the principles behind Justice Week. Representatives from the Police Federation will also be invited to speak at the meetings. The unions will organise rotas to ensure that all attendees will be able to listen to the debate. It is essential that as many MPs as possible are lobbied. Details will follow on the Green Card system used to make appointments.

In the meantime, Napo is asking members to write to their own MP as soon as possible to tell them about Justice Week. Find a model letter to amend and email your MP from here. Simply type in your postcode.

The action is being planned because of the common threats faced by all the unions and associations. Workers across the justice sector are experiencing below inflation pay offers, soaring workloads, cuts to budgets and creeping civilianisation and privatisation.

The week of activities, which will include industrial action if necessary, will highlight to parliament, the press and the public, the extreme difficulties that the justice system is facing. Morale is at an all time low across the sector and unless sufficient funding is found in the immediate future there is no guarantee that statutory duties will be fulfilled.

It is critical therefore that there is maximum participation by union and association members during Justice Week.

All of the organisations will be meeting regularly to plan the activities and events. Details will come soon on how members regionally can cooperate and share transport to events, etc.

The timetable for events so far is:

MONDAY 8 DECEMBER
Publication of research commissioned from the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at a forum hosted by the CCJS for press and parliamentarians.

TUESDAY 9 DECEMBER
Concerted industrial action by those unions involved in disputes.

Parliamentary activity, including early day motions and adjournment debates around the stress experienced by workers in the justice system.

WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER
Major lobby of parliament and continued industrial action

THURSDAY 11 DECEMBER
Regional ‘Public Services Not Private Profit’ meetings

Collection of statements of support for the activities from faith groups, voluntary groups, pressure groups and other trade unions.

FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER
Mass lobby of MPs in their constituencies. We will attempt to ensure that every MP in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is lobbied on that day.

Regular campaign bulletins are being produced. Download the first below.
Justice Week Bulletin No 1

Neil Gerrard MP, Chair of the Justice Unions' Parliamentary Group, has tabled an early day motion calling for support for taff in the Criminal Justice System.

EDM 1686 says ‘That this House recognises the contribution made to public safety by the police, prison officers, probation, courts and Crown Prosecution Service staff; and therefore calls on the Government without delay to ensure that staff in the criminal justice system can carry out their statutory duties in an efficient and effective manner’.

Currently 42 MPs, from all Parties, have signed the EDM 1686. Check if your MP is on the list.

If your MP has not so far supported the EDM, please email them and ask them to do so. You can find your MP - and an email link - by clicking the link below and typing in your postcode.

Find your MP

You can download a 'model' letter to adapt here Download model letter

Over 150 justice union members crowded into Committee Room 14 to hear a full platform of speakers, including MPs and Peers from all Parties, express their support for a properly funded and resourced criminal justice system

The rally saw the launch of a parliamentary campaign aimed at securing a fair financial deal for the services and a criminal justice system that protects the public, not one that puts it at risk. The campaign is supported by the all Party Justice Unions’ Parliamentary Group of MPs.

A report, detailing the common concerns of the unions and the Police Federation, was also launched on the day and circulated to MPs. A copy of the report - Justice under Stress - can be downloaded below.

/download Justice Under Stress

Download a copy of this flyer

Directions to the House of Commons

Speakers at the Rally include:
Neil Garrard MP
Baroness Gibson
David Howarth MP
Lord Ramsbotham
Edward Garnier MP
Tony Benn
Elfyn Llwyd MP
Judy McKnight
David Drew MP
Lord Graham
Dianne Abbott MP
Chris Huhne MP
Ben Priestley, Unison
John McDonnell MP

Branches - particularly branches local to London - have been invited to send delegations to the rally. Please let your branch know if you are interested in going.

The Justice Under Stress event is planned to coincide with the TUC’s Speak Up For Public Services lobby on public sector pay which is being held from 12.30 to 14.30 in Central Hall Westminster.

This event is not planned as a mass rally but rather a representative lobby, however members attending the Justice Under Stress Rally, who can get to London for 12.00 are welcome to aattend the TUC rally also.

More information will be sent out to branches in the coming weeks.

The research, commissioned by Napo, shows:

- Since 2001, the Probation budget has grown by 21 percent in real terms. However, in recent years it has declined, by 9 percent in 2005-06 and 2 percent in 2006-07. The government plans further year on year budget reductions of 3 per cent per year for the next three years.
- The recently announced £40 million for implementing community orders in place of short prison sentences is unlikely to compensate for the impact of long term and continuing budget reductions.
- Probation caseloads increased by 23 percent between 2002 and 2006, and by 47 percent since 1997.
- Frontline probation staff grew by 21 percent between 2002 and 2006. However, growth was concentrated among senior and management grades, as well as the less qualified Probation Service Officers. The numbers of fully qualified and trainee Probation Officers fell by 9 percent.

A full copy of the report can be found on the CCJS website

Read on for the press release that accompanied the publication of the report today.

The publication picked up considerable national coverage - here is the BBC report.

The two Early Day Motions on probation resources continue to gather support.

Currently EDM 528 (tabled by Edward Garnier) has 62 signatures and EDM 470 (tabled by Neil Gerrard) has 70 signatures.

It is important for members to continue to ask their local MPs to sign the EDM as we build up pressure on Ministers. Let’s make it 100 signatures each by the end of February!

Get a model letter to use when contacting your MP by clicking on the 'continue reading' tag below.

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 by clicking here. Just type in your postcode.

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

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

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.

"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.”

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

Download a printable copy of this leaflet

Napo had been lobbying for the Government to bring forward its own amendment to the Bill on the crucial role of local commissioning and for the Probation Trust to be the lead provider in terms of the provision of probation services, following the defeat of Baroness Anelay's amendemnt on this issue in the House of Commons on 18 July.

In the event this did not happen, however,Baroness Scotland, speaking for the Government repeated the commitment on local commissioning that Jack Straw had set out in his letters to MPs and to Neil Gerrard, saying: "My right honourable friend the Minister of State, David Hanson, made it clear in the other place last week that commissioning will be a national, regional and local activity and that the local probation trust will be the lead provider provided that it meets the necessary performance standard.”

Other Lord’s Amendments

Three other amendments had been previously agreed in the House of Lords:

- On the need for conflict of interest to be addressed;

- On the need for a super affirmative resolution to be agreed before the legislation could be changed which exempts court work from contracting out;

- On the need for a commencement order and a business case to be produced prior to the implementation of the Act.

The Government accepted the need for the Bill to be strengthened on the issue of conflict of interest and moved its own amendment to this effect.

The other two amendments had not been agreed in the House of Commons and were eventually withdrawn by their movers, Baroness Anelay and Lord Ramsbotham during the Lords' debate, following suitable assurances from Baroness Scotland.

"We will survive"

While Napo would have preferred to have seen more amendments to the Bill, including an amendment on local commissioning, we mustn’t underestimate what we have achieved, both in changes to the Bill and in Ministerial commitments.

The final bill is now very different to how it started, and much of the thanks for those changes are due to Napo members and branches lobbying their MPs and raising the profile of our Service.

Whilst the danger of fragmentation and privatisation remains, the final shape of the Bill allows for the possibility of a strong Probation Service, appropriately working in partnership with other providers, winning through.

Read the full debate on Hasard

Or read extracts in Stop the Bill Bulletin No 23