Ministerial Meeting set for 29th January

The probation unions are secheduled to meet with Secretary of State for Justice, David Gauke, and Probation Minister, Rory Steward on 29th January. This will be the first meeting of its kind with the ministerial team and a longer than usual meeting has been provmised in light of the many key issues the unions wish to raise.

It is very likely that top of the agenda for discussion will be the Ministers recent annoucement on the possibiity of ending short-term prison sentences, which attracted huge media interest recently, with Napo's General Secretary interviewed on national TV and radio.

Beyond that the unions will be wishing to express serious concerns at the rational and pace of the Government's intention to remarketise the Probation Service, as set out in the Secretary of States consultation paper. The unions will be urging Ministers to halt the current remarketisation exercise in order that further consideration can be given to the imepending report by the NAO and to allow for further, public, consideration of Government's own response to the consultation, which is due to be published in the Spring.

Other issues on the agenda will include:

• The current operational state of the NPS and the CRC providers;
• The outsourcing of night cover in Approved Premises;
• Proposals around Offender Management in Custody; and
• The need to esnure consistent professional standards across the whole of Probation in future.

The unions will also be vigourously persuing our intention to see harmonisation of pay for our members working in the CRC estate following the NPS pay awrd and the need for adjustments to current CRC contracts and, if awarded in 2020, to any new contracts - should this come about.

Napo will be reporting outcomes as soon as possible following the meeting. So keep abreast of the news on the Napo HQ Blog.