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1341571

registered interest
date	29/06/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Magistrates: Re-employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	If he will take steps to invite all magistrates under the age of 75 who were automatically retired at the age of 70 to state whether or not they wish to rejoin the Bench.
tabling member constituency	New Forest East
tabling member printed	Dr Julian Lewis
uin	901954
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2021 answer text <p>When the new judicial mandatory retirement age comes into force, there will be a transitional provision to enable retired magistrates to apply to return to the bench, subject to business need.</p><p> </p><p>We will be contacting recently retired magistrates later this year to invite them to express their interest in rejoining the bench.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 29/06/2021 16:37:17 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	54 label Biography information for Sir Julian Lewis

1341572

registered interest
date	29/06/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Females
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking to reduce the number of women in prisons.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	901952
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2021 answer text <p>We recognise the benefits of diverting female offenders away from prison where appropriate.</p><p> </p><p>That is why we have committed to piloting Residential Women’s Centres for women at risk of short custodial sentences, where they will be supported to address the underlying causes of their offending behaviour and to move-on to settled accommodation. The first centre will be located in south Wales.</p><p> </p><p>I am pleased to say that there has been a 26% decrease in the female prison population in just over a decade.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 29/06/2021 16:35:50 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1341573

registered interest
date	29/06/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Fraud: Personal Injury
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of fraudulent whiplash claims.
tabling member constituency	Bury South
tabling member printed	Christian Wakeford
uin	901947
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2021 answer text <p>We implemented several important reforms on 31 May to tackle the problems associated with whiplash which will cut costs, reduce fraud and lower motor insurance premiums.</p><p> </p><p>We have introduced a tariff of damages for whiplash injuries, banned pre-medical offers to settle such claims and increased the small claims track limit to £5,000 for road accident related personal injury claims.</p><p> </p><p>Genuinely injured claimants will be supported through a new digital Portal enabling them to settle claims without legal advice.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 29/06/2021 16:34:05 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4871 label Biography information for Christian Wakeford

1341574

registered interest
date	29/06/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Administration of Justice
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps his Department is taking to support the recovery of the justice system after the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	East Devon
tabling member printed	Simon Jupp
uin	901946
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2021 answer text <p>In response to the pressures of the pandemic, prisons moved rapidly to prevent infection and minimise loss of life, the Probation Service introduced new delivery models, and in Courts and Tribunals we made quick safety adjustments to court buildings meaning that we were among the first internationally to re-start jury trials.</p><p> </p><p>We remain committed to our continued recovery, rolling out vaccination in prisons, getting cases heard more quickly, and accelerating efforts to increase capacity. We will continue to innovate and improve so that we can build back better.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 29/06/2021 16:32:43 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4862 label Biography information for Simon Jupp

1341575

registered interest
date	29/06/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Terrorism: Reading
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What progress he has made on a review into the Reading terror attack in June 2020.
tabling member constituency	Reading East
tabling member printed	Matt Rodda
uin	901950
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2021 answer text <p>This was a terrible crime, and the Court imposed a whole life order on Khairi Saadallah. The Probation Service has completed a Serious Further Offence (SFO) review into how Saadallah was managed, which is being shared with the bereaved families and with surviving victims.</p><p> </p><p>An independent reviewer is also undertaking a Serious Case Review looking at how the relevant agencies worked together under the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) to manage the risk he posed.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 29/06/2021 16:35:05 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4654 label Biography information for Matt Rodda

1341086

registered interest
date	28/06/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Bronzefield Prison: Homelessness
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure provision of homelessness prevention support work in HMP and YOI Bronzefield from 26 June 2021 is on a basis no less than that provided by the previous Community Rehabilitation Company contract.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	23138
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2021 answer text <p>The Hon Member for West Ham will be aware that the changes we have made to the probation system include significant changes to our approach to meeting the needs of people in custody.</p><p>As a result of these changes and to ensure women held in HMP Bronzefield receive the support they need to reduce the risk of them being released without an address, those staff based in Bronzefield who have transferred to the Probation Service will play the lead role in working with women to assess their needs and ensure that appropriate action is undertaken to meet their resettlement needs, in particular accommodation.</p><p>What is new is that we have also commissioned rehabilitative services for women from specialist providers who are based in the community and have the links that will help women when they are released. Whilst these providers may provide this support either by visits or by phone/ video-links, women will benefit from the local knowledge of the housing options in the area to which they will be released and will also have ongoing support from the same organisation on release. This enables continuity of support from prison to community and a prompt response if circumstances change.</p><p>Whilst these new arrangements will take time to embed, we believe that this approach will provide the support women need in making a successful transition from custody to community. We will be reviewing how the model is operating over the coming weeks and the Department will continue to work with all our commissioned suppliers, prisons and other partners to try to ensure the resources we have are used as effectively as possible to meet priority needs.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 01/07/2021 16:39:26 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1341087

registered interest
date	28/06/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Females
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure the changes to the contracts for probation services that took place on 26 June 2021 do not result in increasing risks of (a) homelessness, (b) destitution and (c) non-continuation of medical treatment including substance misuse treatment for vulnerable women prison leavers.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	23139
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2021 answer text <p>Ensuring a safe, stable transition to the new unified probation model has been our key priority as contracts with Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) come to an end. We have worked to support that through our overall approach to transition, which has meant transferring staff, caseloads and ways of working to the new Probation Service as is, to support continuity in how offenders are supervised and supported.</p><p> </p><p>From 26 June 2021, new contracts for specialist women’s services are in place across the 12 probation regions in England and Wales. To prevent gaps in delivery of services, we have sought to ensure that planned work delivered by previous suppliers was completed before 26 June, and that, where the same provider is delivering the service pre and post-26 June, the women receiving those services experience continuity of delivery. We have also made referrals well in advance of the first day of new contracts for women who presented a high risk of harm, in order to enable new suppliers to prioritise these cases for early appointments. For women who require accommodation support pre-release and who have 14 days or less to serve when the referral is made, the new suppliers are required to make an initial response within 24 hours of receiving the referral.</p><p> </p><p>Alongside this, HMPPS is continuing to fund Homelessness Prevention Teams (HPTs) to help find accommodation for offenders upon release, which were originally established as part of the response to COVID-19. These teams have been very successful in securing temporary accommodation outcomes, including short-term rented accommodation and building new local partnerships with local authorities and housing partners.  The HPTs continue to operate as part of the unified model.</p><p> </p><p>Probation and Prison Service pre-release staff working in prisons will continue to provide finance benefits and debt support for women before release, including being able to address the issue of identification. The majority of former ‘Through the Gate’ staff who delivered this support to people in prison are now part of the Probation Service to enable this service to be continued. The commissioned services now in place to support women include provision for finance, benefit and debt support where needs remain outstanding after release. In the longer term, probation practitioners will be responsible for assessing needs pre-release enabling more time to make plans to address the needs a person leaving prison has as part of this transition.</p><p> </p><p>Health care teams within prisons continue to have responsibility for ensuring there is a continuity of care either side of release, including that people in prison are registered with a GP. Staff based in the prison can continue to support people in prison to access primary health care. Where there are outstanding needs coming up to release, women’s services commissioned by probation regions are able to support women after release to engage with support services including primary health care and counselling.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 01/07/2021 16:40:49 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1341088

registered interest
date	28/06/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Self-harm and Suicide
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to monitor the reintroduction of key worker schemes in prisons in England and Wales during the recovery from the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	23140
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2021 answer text <p>Monitoring of delivery of key work during Covid-19 recovery is undertaken by Prison Governors, Prison Group Directors and Prison Executive Directors and through internal audit functions. Independent scrutiny visits are also carried out by HM Inspectorate of Prisons, which then publishes its findings.</p><p>We are committed to ensuring that key work is reinstated fully across the male closed estate when safe to do so, and as part of recovery work.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 06/07/2021 14:15:20 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1341123

registered interest
date	28/06/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Marriage: Humanism
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of granting interim, time-limited legal recognition to humanist marriages on the same basis as has been given for outdoor civil marriages.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Withington
tabling member printed	Jeff Smith
uin	23239
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2021 answer text <p>A Law Commission report due later this year is expected to present options for wholesale reform to the law governing marriage ceremonies, which the Government will consider carefully. Options being explored by the Law Commission include offering couples greater flexibility to form their own ceremonies, allowing the ceremony to take place in a much broader range of locations, and powers to hold weddings remotely in a national emergency. The Government will decide on provision for non-religious belief marriage on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations.</p><p>Delivery of registration services falls to local authorities who continue to manage the demand for civil marriage within their respective geographical areas during recovery from the pandemic.</p><p>The Government has published guidance on gov.uk to assist couples in planning for their marriage or civil partnership formation in England, and for venues that host ceremonies and receptions to enable them to prepare for these events. The guidance sets out how this can be done in a manner that is safe and complies with legal requirements and social distancing guidelines. The Welsh Government has published similar guidance in respect of Wales.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 23240 23241 question first answered 06/07/2021 15:30:47 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4456 label Biography information for Jeff Smith

1341124

registered interest
date	28/06/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Marriage
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of granting legal recognition of (a) outdoor civil marriages and (b) humanist marriages to help tackle the backlog in demand for officiants who can conduct legally recognised marriages.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Withington
tabling member printed	Jeff Smith
uin	23240
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2021 answer text <p>A Law Commission report due later this year is expected to present options for wholesale reform to the law governing marriage ceremonies, which the Government will consider carefully. Options being explored by the Law Commission include offering couples greater flexibility to form their own ceremonies, allowing the ceremony to take place in a much broader range of locations, and powers to hold weddings remotely in a national emergency. The Government will decide on provision for non-religious belief marriage on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations.</p><p>Delivery of registration services falls to local authorities who continue to manage the demand for civil marriage within their respective geographical areas during recovery from the pandemic.</p><p>The Government has published guidance on gov.uk to assist couples in planning for their marriage or civil partnership formation in England, and for venues that host ceremonies and receptions to enable them to prepare for these events. The guidance sets out how this can be done in a manner that is safe and complies with legal requirements and social distancing guidelines. The Welsh Government has published similar guidance in respect of Wales.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 23239 23241 question first answered 06/07/2021 15:30:47 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4456 label Biography information for Jeff Smith