Probation announcement all spin and no substance

3.00.00pm GMT Tue 11th Mar 2008

Government claims that it is giving £40m more money to the Probation Service are 'totally misleading' the Liberal Democrats said today.

A Ministry of Justice press release says that 'The National Probation Service is to receive £40 million of additional funding to provide more tough and effective community sentences.'

However, just six months ago the Government announced that probation service funding was to cut by five per cent for each of the next three years.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

"The Government is spinning this as additional support for the probation service but in reality it only goes part of the way in restoring funding cuts announced just six months ago.

"Tough community punishments are more effective in cutting reoffending than short term custodial sentences and this is due in part to the sterling work of the probation service.

"Today's funding commitment will thankfully stave off some redundancies in the probation service but it is totally misleading to describe it as an increase in support for the service when it is the Government taking with one hand and giving with the other."