Ken Clarke: I will slash probation red tape

Ken Clarke today vowed to cut the red tape that results in probation officers spending only a quarter of their time supervising criminals.

The Justice Secretary said he was "staggered" to learn that staff were buried in paperwork for 75 per cent of their working days, rather than in direct contact with offenders.

His comments came after a damning report by a committee of MPs blamed a "tick-box, bean-counting culture" for keeping officers from the front line.

"I'm staggered by the 25 per cent figure," said Mr Clarke. "The 'tick-box culture' is ridiculous and we're getting rid of it. We've reduced the number of targets, streamlined national standards and said we'll give probation officers back their professional discretion."

After uncovering the figure, the Commons justice committee said scarce resources needed to be focused on the front line and recommended probation trusts have greater independence.

It also asked the Ministry of Justice to start an external review of the National Offender Management Service amid concerns of "micro management".

Harry Fletcher, of probation service union Napo, said: "We predicted Noms would be a bureaucratic nightmare. It is scandalous staff now spend 75 per cent of their time form-filling and answering centrally driven emails."