Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of probation service delivery across the West Midlands; and if he will make a statement.

Our probation reforms are designed to make sure almost all offenders will receive support on release including, for the first time, those sentenced to less than 12 months. These reforms will help to reduce reoffending, cut crime and improve public safety.

We hold Community Rehabilitation Companies to account for their performance and seek continuous improvement. We have identified some areas of strength and some areas for improvement. Staffordshire and West Midlands Community Rehabilitation Company have reassured us that they are making the necessary improvements and we are closely monitoring progress.