The hon. and learned Gentleman not only says that I am not analytical but wants to tell me how I should respond to his prompting. He asked  whether we will communicate what individual employees’ rights are. I put on record this Government’s success in employment rights, which I am happy to have furthered in my role as Employment Minister in the Department of Trade and Industry, and the various Acts that we have passed.

In no way will we not communicate with our work force about what will happen. We have been doing that regularly. The hon. and learned Gentleman mighthave information from the National Association of Probation Officers, a trade union, about its members’ concerns, and he might have seen what the Government have done to respond. We have made pledges to staff and continue to make them.

I have no doubt that the fullest of consultations and discussions will be held about what the future holds. I hope that some of the scaremongers will desist and that we can get down to ensuring that those doing what we all agree is a difficult job in difficult circumstances see their futures mapped out as quickly as possible. We will give them the fullest of opportunities to understand what the future holds for them. I have no hesitation in saying that employees will be fully informed about the future in direct mailings either from me or from officials.