Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff worked in the (a) public and (b) private probation sector (i) in each year since 2010 and (ii) on the latest date for which figures are available.

From 1 April 2010 until 31 May 2014, provision was by 34 probation trusts in England and the Wales Probation Trust. The following table provides figures (full-time equivalents) for staff-in-post in probation trusts as at 30 June in each year from 2010 to 2013:

From 1 June 2014, probation services were provided by the National Probation Service (NPS) and 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs). At that point, both the NPS and the CRCs were in the public sector. Staff-in-post figures (full-time equivalents) for 30 June 2014 are shown in the following table:

On 1 February 2015, the CRCs became private sector organisations, the NPS remaining within the public sector. Staff-in-post figures (full-time equivalents) as at 30 June 2014 for the NPS in the years 2015-17 are shown in the following table:

30 June 2017 is the latest date for which figures are available. Workforce figures as at 30 September are due to be published in November.

Figures for the Community Rehabilitation Companies following their move to the private sector are not collected by the Ministry of Justice but contracts with CRCs require each CRC to ensure that it employs a sufficient level of staff, and that its workforce is competent and adequately trained. We closely monitor and robustly manage providers to make sure they fulfil their contractual commitments to reduce re-offending, protect the public and provide value for money to the taxpayer.