Probation Board

Justice – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 3:15 pm on 7 February 2011.

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Photo of Tommy Gallagher Tommy Gallagher Social Democratic and Labour Party 3:15, 7 February 2011

6. asked the Minister of Justice what steps he will take to safeguard the work currently carried out by the Probation Board, given that it might have to make 60 staff redundant. (AQO 969/11)

Photo of David Ford David Ford Alliance

All public services are facing pressures over the next four years. Inevitably, I have had to make very difficult decisions to prioritise spending to remain within the Department of Justice draft Budget allocation. The Probation Board has an important role in our justice system, and I value the expertise and focus that it brings to managing offenders and protecting the public.

I share the Member’s concern that the proposed reductions could impact on front line staff. My officials are meeting the board to work through the budget proposals, particularly the phasing of its proposed savings. I also have limited scope to ease the Probation Board’s financial position through rebalancing allocations in the wider criminal justice budget. I expect that that combined approach will lessen the impact of funding pressures on the Probation Board and significantly reduce the threat of possible redundancies.

Photo of Tommy Gallagher Tommy Gallagher Social Democratic and Labour Party

Does the Minister agree that the Probation Board provides good value for money and has been doing very useful work, particularly in reducing reoffending, and that, if up to 60 jobs were to go, much of that good work will be at risk?

Photo of David Ford David Ford Alliance

I certainly agree with Mr Gallagher about the good work that is done by the Probation Board, which is seen, as is our Youth Justice Agency, as a leading light in these islands compared with some other aspects of the justice system, such as prisons. He repeated the figure of a suggestion of a potential 60 job losses. I am making it clear that the work that we seek to do is very significantly seeking to reduce any threat to redundancies on anything like that scale. However, it is clear that, in our difficult financial circumstances, every part of the Department of Justice has to bear a share of the cuts.

Photo of John O'Dowd John O'Dowd Sinn Féin

Go raibh maith agat, a Cheann Comhairle. In some ways, the Minister has answered my question. However, it is worth pointing out that question 3 from Mr McQuillan states that the cost of reoffending is somewhere in the region of £80 million. Given the role of the Probation Board in reducing the number of people who reoffend and ensuring the rehabilitation of prisoners, surely investment in it will save the Department of Justice money in the long run.

Photo of David Ford David Ford Alliance

I make the point again that we are in difficult financial times and no part of the Department can be freed entirely from cuts. As we have looked at the budget allocation, we have sought to ensure that there is protection of front-line services as far as possible. The largest cuts in the Department are in back office services within the core of the Department, and we have sought to protect the budgets that apply both to grants from NGOs and to front-line services that are directly run by the Department and its agencies. That has not been an easy decision, and there have had to be cuts. We are seeking to reduce the effect, as is suggested by the Probation Board, of those cuts, and we are doing so successfully.

Photo of Danny Kinahan Danny Kinahan UUP

The Minister has as good as answered my question, but I want to congratulate the Probation Board on its good work. Has he compared the cost of the likely increase in offending rates against the actual savings? He hinted at that, but has he actually compared the figures?

Photo of David Ford David Ford Alliance

Mr Kinahan is asking me to go further than is realistic at this stage. I am fully aware of the good work that is done by the probation service. As someone whose professional background is in social work, of course I would say that. However, that does not mean that, as Minister of Justice, I can automatically give the Probation Board or any other section of the Department a blank cheque.