I wish to advise the Deputy that there are one principal, 13 assistant principal, 48 senior and 208 probation and welfare officers currently employed in the probation and welfare service. An additional 25 professional grade posts were recently sanctioned in relation to implementation of the Children Act 2001. Recruitment is ongoing. Nine additional probation and welfare officers took up duty in September 2003. I recently advertised a new competition to recruit probation and welfare officers and interviewing of candidates is scheduled to commence on 28 October 2003.
The probation and welfare service is a key component of the criminal justice system. While I have no immediate plans for a reorganisation of the service, I will be examining, in due course, the implications of the value for money audit of the service which is under way at present by officials from the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.