Eleventh Hour

For many of us, Monday 11th November 2013 is significant because it's Armistice Day and at 11.00 am precisely, commemorates the anniversary of the ending of hostilities during the First World War.

Somewhat prophetically, it's also a very significant date for the Probation Service as the Offender Rehabilitation Bill is due it's second reading in the House of Commons. Harry Fletcher informs us that an amendment has been tabled in the name of E.Miliband and numerous others stating:-

 'This House declines to give the Offender Rehabilitation Bill a second reading'

It is absolutely vital that as many people as possible e-mail their constituency MP this weekend, asking them to attend and vote in favour of the amendment. This is especially important in relation to Liberal Democrat MP's.

Details of how to contact your Member of Parliament can be found on the biography pages of the Parliament website here.  

Lets hope common sense can prevail at the eleventh hour.

PS - The wording of the amendment in full:-

That this House declines to give a Second Reading to the Offender Rehabilitation Bill because the implementation of the proposals in the Bill depends on the Government’s proposed restructuring of the Probation Service; believes that this proposed restructuring will see the abolition of local Probation Trusts, the fragmentation of supervision of offenders on the basis of their risk level and the commissioning of services direct from Whitehall; further believes that the Government has failed to provide any costings for their proposals; notes reports that suggest the Ministry of Justice’s own internal risk register warns that the Government’s proposals could result in a high risk of an unacceptable drop in operational performance; and further declines to give a Second Reading to the Bill on the grounds that none of the Government’s proposals has been piloted nor independently evaluated, potentially resulting in an unnecessary risk to the public’s safety.