This House of Lords Library Briefing provides information on some of the proposed changes to probation services identified the Government’s recent consultation, 'Strengthening Probation, Building Confidence'.
Probation Services: Reforms and Proposed Future Changes (199 KB , PDF)
The probation services framework in England and Wales has been subject to significant reforms in recent years. This briefing considers structural changes introduced by the Coalition Government before summarising further changes to the system proposed by the current Government in its recent consultation, Strengthening Probation, Building Confidence, published in July 2018. The Government has stated it will announce fuller details of forthcoming changes in early 2019.
Probation Services: Reforms and Proposed Future Changes (199 KB , PDF)
The Crime and Policing Bill is broad in scope and would include measures aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour, knife crime, violence against women and girls, theft, child sexual abuse, other sexual offending, youth radicalisation and more. It would also contain provisions relating to police powers and misconduct investigations.
In January 2025 the House of Lords Constitution Committee published a report on the responsibility of the government (the executive) to oversee the constitution. It concluded that the UK’s constitutional arrangements would benefit from several improved safeguards, such as the appointment of a senior minister to advise on constitutional matters and for advisory bodies to be put on a statutory footing.
This bill seeks to implement the government’s commitments to modernise the asylum and immigration systems, establish a border security command and introduce enhanced powers and offences to tackle immigration crime and people smuggling gangs. It has completed its passage in the House of Commons and is scheduled to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 2 June 2025.
