Clause 6
Offender Management Bill
9:45 am
Edward Garnier (Shadow Minister (Home Affairs), Home Affairs; Harborough, Conservative)
I would be able to give the Minister an example if he could provide me with rather more detail of what he has in his head. The problem is the vagueness of the Bill. Under clause 3(3)(c) the Secretary of State is to be given powers
“to make contractual or other arrangements with third parties for purposes connected with the probation provision”.
We do not know who these people are. I have an idea, and I have an idea who I would like to see doing this sort of work, but I have absolutely no idea what will be in the contractual terms. The Minister told us last week that he was getting into the dangerous territory of the difference between statutory and contractual terms. It seems to me that the policy should be that the contract should reflect the statute. I have every confidence in the Minister’s ability to draw up a contract, but the public need more reassurance. We need to know who the people are and precisely what qualifications they are to have. We do not get even the drafts of the regulations, let alone the detail of the lists of probation service providers.
I have a number of worries, although I share the Government’s view on contestability, unlike many Labour Back Benchers not only in this Committee but outside it. I regret to say that I am going to be disobliging and invite the Committee to express its opinion about the amendment.