To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the serious incident reports procedure was set up for the Probation Service in England and Wales. [8900]

May 1995.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many serious incident reports from each probation service in England and Wales have involved assaults against staff since May 1995. [8902]

One.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason no press notice accompanied Probation Circular 00/97. [8903]

Formal press notices are not issued on each occasion that circulars are issued but on this occasion, as on others, guidance was given to the press to put the circular in context.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when Ministers assessed the contents of the Probation Service circular on serious incidents reports issued on 30 June. [8905]

The material in the circular was submitted to us shortly before issue.