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Offender Management Bill

I, too, support the amendment. The Bill envisages far greater involvement of the private sector in providing a probationary service. In these circumstances, it is essential that the Government should ensure that there is no conflict of interest. The amendment, as a number of speakers have indicated, would eliminate the risk of a conflict of interest should any area of probation work be contracted out to a company with a financial interest in the outcome. It would be wise to have an amendment with wording of this kind in the Bill to make it absolutely clear that the Government have taken all the steps that they possibly can to avoid any conflict of interest in this new arrangement.