THE DAILY POLITICS Prisoners go wild and crazy and re-offend on drugs and everything else much more easily in that first few weeks period. So if you can find a way, whether it's electronic tagging, or the American system of post-release mentoring and care, I think that is a good idea. Jonathan Aitken Latest show Subscribe to our streams Need help?

1200 Eddie Mair joins Jenny and welcomes our guest for the show, housing minister Yvette Cooper. She's works in John Prescott's department - which makes her the Deputy Deputy Deputy Prime Minister, or something like that. No surprise for a woman whose already been tipped by the US embassy as a future Labour leader.

1205 The murders of London banker John Monckton, teenager Mary-Ann Leneghan and jeweller Marian Bates have shocked the country. These murders, committed by prisoners on parole, sparked a public outcry and tabloid campaigns to "keep killers locked up". Today the Home Secretary is announcing an overhaul of the probation services to protect the public from dangerous offenders. Jenny looks at how it's going to work.

1207 Jenny talks to Victor Bates, the husband of Nottingham jeweller Marian Bates, who was killed in 2003 by a prisoner on probation.

1210 Eddie brings into the conversation someone who's had first hand experience of our prison service, former Conservative cabinet minister and prisoner, Jonathan Aitken.

1217 MPs argued long and hard over how long our local boozers can stay open. But in the era of 24 hour licensing, alcohol campaigners say there's rarely been any discussion about treating people who are addicted to drink. Recently the government said it was thinking about improving the labelling of beer, wines and spirits but treatment for serious alcoholism is often difficult to come by - as Laura reports.

1219 One of Tony Blair's most influential advisors - Lord Birt - has stepped out of the shadows this morning to face questions from the Commons Public accounts committee. MPs had previously tried to cross-examine John Birt about his role as a "blue-skies thinker" in Number 10, but were repeatedly blocked. Some confidential Birt reports were made public by the Government last summer, although much of his private advice to the Prime Minister was blanked out. Then in December Lord Birt gave up his role in Downing Street. This morning he was asked by the Committee's Chair Tony Wright if his presence in government had always been welcomed. We look at the strange scenes in the Committee Room: when pressed on what he'd actually achieved during his six years in government, Lord Birt seemed to be at a bit of a loss.

1225 We return to Yvette with your emails and questions.

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