Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the overall performance of probation services since the part-privatisation of those services in 2014.

All probation providers are now assessed on an annual basis by HM Inspectorate of Probation. In addition, HM Prison and Probation Service runs regular, targeted operational audits to assess performance. We take action on any performance concerns highlighted. Quarterly performance statistics are also available, at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-and-probation-trusts-performance-statistics#community-performance-statistics

We have been clear that probation services need to improve. While the National Probation Service is performing well, the performance of CRCs has too often been disappointing, for a variety of reasons.

Last year, we announced our decision to end current Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) contracts early. Following this, we launched a consultation, Strengthening Probation, Building Confidence, and engaged with stakeholders and the market on the future of the probation system.

We will set out detailed plans for the future of probation services shortly.