Shadow Justice Secretary, Sadiq Khan, has written to the MoJ Permanent Secretary about the proposed deadline beyond which contracts for Probation work can not be signed.
The letter says: "I am therefore writing for two reasons; first for confirmation that contacts of this scale and size will not be entered into at a late stage in this parliament. I would like to know what the official dealing is beyond which no contacts can be signed and to be reassured that no exceptions will be made for the Probation Service privatisation...
Second, that should the Ministry of Justice entere into these probation contracts, they must include suitable break clauses or other opportunities for them to be terminated by a future Justice Secretary without the taxpayer being faced with huge financial penalties."
The letter concludes: "If it is the case that there are no opportunties for future governments to bring to an end the contracts without financial penalties, then this reinforces my concern that the current Secretary of State is binding future governments to his decisiosn, regardless of performance or a change in administration. This is wrong, undemocratic and an affront to the views of the Official Opposition so close to an election and a possible change of government'.