Labour responds to MoJ announcement to proceed to award of probation contracts

Responding to the Government's awarding of the privatised probation contracts, Sadiq Khan MP, Labour’s Shadow Justice Secretary, said: "David Cameron's Government is taking a monument gamble with public safety. In the face of fierce opposition from experts, probation staff, Labour and even his own officials, Chris Grayling is pushing ahead with his reckless and half-baked privatisation of probation. As a result of his untested plans, private companies with little or no track record in this area will be in charge of serious and violent offenders in communities up and down the country."