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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Probation officers vote to strike over privatisation | Probation officers vote to strike over privatisation |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Probation officers in England and Wales have voted to strike over government privatisation plans. | Probation officers in England and Wales have voted to strike over government privatisation plans. |
| Private firms and charities are currently bidding for contracts worth £450m to supervise 225,000 low and medium-risk offenders each year. | Private firms and charities are currently bidding for contracts worth £450m to supervise 225,000 low and medium-risk offenders each year. |
| The National Association of Probation Officers (Napo) said there had been a 46% turn-out, with more than 80% voting yes for action. No date has been given. | |
| It warned selling off the Probation Service would boost re-offending rates. | |
| Under the government's proposals, most of the Probation Service's work will be done under new payment-by-results contracts, to be awarded in 20 English regions. The whole of Wales will be one region. | |
| The contracts would mean that low and medium-risk offenders will be supervised by a mix of private firms, charities and voluntary groups. | |
| More than 700 organisations from around the world, as well as hundreds of British firms, have expressed interest in the contracts, the Ministry of Justice has said. | |
| 'Open to talks' | 'Open to talks' |
| A new public sector body, the National Probation Service, will be created to deal with the rehabilitation of 31,000 high-risk offenders each year. | A new public sector body, the National Probation Service, will be created to deal with the rehabilitation of 31,000 high-risk offenders each year. |
| Napo general secretary Ian Lawrence said his organisation would pursue the mandate for industrial action "with vigour" but would also "be seeking to avoid this if possible by way of further negotiations with ministers". | |
| He said "decimating the award-winning public sector Probation Service and selling it off to the likes of G4S and Serco will result in increased re-offending rates, a lack of continuity in risk management, and will see the privateers making huge profits at the expense of victims, offenders and taxpayers." | He said "decimating the award-winning public sector Probation Service and selling it off to the likes of G4S and Serco will result in increased re-offending rates, a lack of continuity in risk management, and will see the privateers making huge profits at the expense of victims, offenders and taxpayers." |
| A government-wide review of all contracts held by G4S and Serco is currently being carried out. | |
| The audit was launched after it emerged the firms - which are two of the country's largest private security providers - had overcharged the government by "tens of millions" for electronic tags for criminals. | |
| Serco has said it is "co-operating fully". | |
| G4S has said it "co-operated fully" with a previous audit which PwC began earlier this year and was conducting its own inquiry but was not aware of any indications of dishonesty or misconduct. | |
| The two firms will not be awarded any contracts until the government audit is completed, but Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has allowed them to bid for the probation service. |