To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made
of the extent of recruitment challenges to Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB); what
steps he plans to take to tackle those challenges; and what assessment he has made
of the impact of the shortfall in IMB members on the treatment of prisoners they are
tasked with monitoring.
<p>The Independent Monitoring Boards (IMBs) play an important role in supporting the
Ministry of Justice to improve the safety and security of our prisons. Although the
IMB is responsible for the recruitment of its volunteers, the Department recognises
the challenges that exist in recruiting members to some individual Monitoring Boards.
MoJ has, therefore, increased the funding available to the organisation in 2022-23.
This increase in funding will help support improvements to member recruitment and
retention policies to ensure Boards continue to deliver statutory responsibilities
to monitor and report on the treatment of those detained in custody.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) Crown court and (b) Magistrates
court trials in each of the last three years have been ineffective due to (i) the
prosecution not being ready, (ii) prosecution witness being absent, (iii) prosecution
failing to disclose unused material, (iv) prosecution advocate being engaged in another
trial and (v) prosecution advocate failing to attend.
<p>The Ministry of Justice has published information on trial effectiveness at the
criminal courts (including ineffective trials by reason and court type), up to December
2021, in the <em>‘Trial effectiveness at the criminal courts tool’</em> available
at the link below:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-court-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2021"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-court-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2021</a>.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many trials in each of the last three
years have been ineffective due to (a) defence not ready, (b) defendant not produced
by Prison Escort Custody Service, (c) defence increase time estimate, (d) defence
advocate engaged in another trial, (e) defence advocate failed to attend, (f) another
case over-ran and (g) equipment /accommodation failure.
<p>The Ministry of Justice has published information on trial effectiveness at the
criminal courts (including ineffective trials by reason and court type), up to December
2021, in the <em>‘Trial effectiveness at the criminal courts tool’</em> available
at the link below:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-court-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2021"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-court-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2021</a>.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with the Secretary
of State for Health and Social Care on levels of (a) self-harm and (b) suicide among
prisoners held under Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences.
<p>The Secretary of State for Justice has not discussed levels of self-harm and suicide
among prisoners held under Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentences with
the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.</p><p> </p><p>However, preventing
self-harm and self-inflicted deaths of prisoners is a key priority for this Government
as set out in the Prisons Strategy White Paper.</p><p> </p><p>We are providing prisons
with tools to improve the way data is used to identify prisoners at increased risk
of suicide and self-harm and we are developing training for staff to improve their
understanding and knowledge of what drives self-harm in prisons. For those prisoners
at increased risk, we also provide additional support through our targeted case management
approach to ensure they receive appropriate care and support, and have also invested
in implementing a Key Worker scheme across the estate, providing dedicated staff support
to prisoners. We continue to raise staff awareness of the particular risks of self-harm
and suicide amongst the IPP population.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what additional targeted support his Department
is providing to prison officers struggling with living costs.
<p>Prison Officer pay is reviewed annually by the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB)
who consider evidence from a range of parties and make recommendations for Government.</p><p>
</p><p>The Government submitted its evidence to the PSPRB on 23<sup>rd</sup> February
2022.</p><p> </p><p>We expect the PSPRB to report with recommendations for Government
in the coming months and the Government will announce the 2022/23 pay award later
in the year.</p>
<p>HM Prison and Probation Service’s Covid-19 Special Payments Scheme was operated
during 2020 only. This was an important set of interventions introduced to support
prison and probation services and safeguard staff and offenders during the early period
of the COVID19 pandemic when staff absence levels were high, the working environment
challenging, and the resilience of the workforce under immense pressure. The scheme
allowed for additional hours to be generated to cover absences caused by COVID and
to ensure continuation of service and the provision of a safe, decent and secure regime.</p><p>
</p><p>The total cost of the scheme across HMPPS was £68.7m. The cost of the scheme
in privately operated prisons was £2.0m.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what has the cost to the public purse been
of HM Prison and Probation Service's covid-19 Special Payments Scheme in privately
operated prisons since March 2020.
<p>HM Prison and Probation Service’s Covid-19 Special Payments Scheme was operated
during 2020 only. This was an important set of interventions introduced to support
prison and probation services and safeguard staff and offenders during the early period
of the COVID19 pandemic when staff absence levels were high, the working environment
challenging, and the resilience of the workforce under immense pressure. The scheme
allowed for additional hours to be generated to cover absences caused by COVID and
to ensure continuation of service and the provision of a safe, decent and secure regime.</p><p>
</p><p>The total cost of the scheme across HMPPS was £68.7m. The cost of the scheme
in privately operated prisons was £2.0m.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many records were made under Rule 36(4)
of The Secure Training Centre Rules 1998 in respect of the removal of children from
association at Oakhill secure training centre in the 12 months ending 31 March 2022;
and if he will breakdown those figures by (i) age, (ii) sex, (iii) ethnicity of the
children removed from association, (iv) the number of children who were classed as
disabled and (v) the recorded reasons for such removal.
<p>There are some occasions when it is necessary to remove young people from association
because their behaviour is likely to be so disruptive that keeping them on ordinary
location would be unsafe, or because their own safety and wellbeing cannot reasonably
be assured by other means. Removal from association cannot be used as a punishment,
and there are careful limits placed on the length of time for which young people can
be separated.</p><p> </p><p>Information to the 12 months ending 31 March 2022 is not
yet available. In the 12 months ending 28 February 2022, which is the latest period
for which information is available, there were 311 removals of children from association
at Oakhill Secure Training Centre, broken down as follows:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>(i)
Age</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>10 - 14</p></td><td><p>52</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>101</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>106</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>38</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>18+</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><em>Not
Known</em></p></td><td><p><em>14</em></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>(ii)
Sex</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>In the 12 months to end of February 2022, all
Children or Young People at Oakhill were male</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>(iii)
Ethnicity</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Asian</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Black</p></td><td><p>118</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mixed</p></td><td><p>34</p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>White</p></td><td><p>120</p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Ethnicity Not Stated</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><em>Not
Known</em></p></td><td><p><em>14</em></p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p><strong>(iv)
Disability</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="3"><p>We are currently not able
to report on a Child or Young Person's disability status</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>(v) Reasons for removal</strong></p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Prevent Harm to Others</p></td><td><p>>= 305</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Prevent
Harm to Self</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Prevent Serious Damage to Property</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>
</p><p>Source: Bespoke returns from establishments collated centrally on a monthly
basis</p><p># indicates a value of 5 or fewer</p><p>The data are generated from internal
management information. The entire period reported on is from a time of regime restrictions
to counter the spread of Covid 19. Separations owing to Covid 19 are not included
in the numbers presented.</p>
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what data his Department holds for each
juvenile young offender institution which shows the number of times an individual
child was removed from association for periods (a) up to three days, (b) up to 14
days, (c) up to 21 days, (d) up to 42 days and (e) more than 42 days in the 12 months
ending 31 March 2022; and if he will breakdown those removals by (i) age, (ii) sex,
(iii) ethnicity of the children removed from association, (iv) the number of children
who were classed as disabled and (v) the recorded reasons for such removal.
<p>There are some occasions when it is necessary to remove young people from association
because their behaviour is likely to be so disruptive that keeping them on ordinary
location would be unsafe, or because their own safety and wellbeing cannot reasonably
be assured by other means. Removal from association cannot be used as a punishment,
and there are careful limits placed on the length of time for which young people can
be separated.</p><p> </p><p>Information for the 12 months ending 31 March 2022 is
not yet available. In the 12 months ending 28 February 2022, which is the latest period
available for reporting, there were 767 removals of children from association in Youth
Offender Institutions where that removal had ended on or by 28 February 2022, broken
down as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Cookham
Wood</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Feltham</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Parc</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Werrington</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Wetherby
- Main</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Wetherby - Keppel Unit</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Period
of Removal</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>(a) up to three days</p></td><td><p>51</p></td><td><p>24</p></td><td><p>92</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>8-13</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>(b)
up to 14 days</p></td><td><p>149</p></td><td><p>85</p></td><td><p>9</p></td><td><p>74</p></td><td><p>94</p></td><td><p>16</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>(c)
up to 21 days</p></td><td><p>21</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>59</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>(d)
up to 42 days</p></td><td><p>12-19</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>4-9</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>(e)
more than 42 days</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>240</p></td><td><p>116</p></td><td><p>101</p></td><td><p>106</p></td><td><p>181</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(i) Age</strong></p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>59</p></td><td><p>28</p></td><td><p>32</p></td><td><p>31</p></td><td><p>47</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>125</p></td><td><p>66</p></td><td><p>51</p></td><td><p>56</p></td><td><p>89</p></td><td><p>16</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>18+</p></td><td><p>31</p></td><td><p>15-20</p></td><td><p>5-10</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>28</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>240</p></td><td><p>116</p></td><td><p>101</p></td><td><p>106</p></td><td><p>181</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(ii) Sex</strong></p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Male</p></td><td><p>229</p></td><td><p>116</p></td><td><p>96</p></td><td><p>102</p></td><td><p>175</p></td><td><p>20-25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Female</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(iii) Ethnicity</strong></p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Asian</p></td><td><p>7-11</p></td><td><p>3-8</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>5-10</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Black</p></td><td><p>131</p></td><td><p>65</p></td><td><p>29</p></td><td><p>33</p></td><td><p>46</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mixed</p></td><td><p>27</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>15</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>21</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Not
Stated</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>White</p></td><td><p>47</p></td><td><p>25</p></td><td><p>49</p></td><td><p>44</p></td><td><p>96</p></td><td><p>17</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>240</p></td><td><p>116</p></td><td><p>101</p></td><td><p>106</p></td><td><p>181</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(iv) Disability</strong></p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><p>Information on a child or young person's disability
status is not currently held centrally.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>(v) Reason for Removal</strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Prevent
Harm to Others</p></td><td><p>139</p></td><td><p>102</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>74</p></td><td><p>152</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Prevent
Harm to Self</p></td><td><p>37</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Self-Isolation</p></td><td><p>64</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>24</p></td><td><p>23</p></td><td><p>#</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Pending
Adjudication</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>95</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>#</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p>240</p></td><td><p>116</p></td><td><p>101</p></td><td><p>106</p></td><td><p>181</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><p>Source:
Bespoke returns from establishments collated centrally on a monthly basis</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="7"><p>Separations starting on or before 28 February 2022 and ending on or
after 1 March 2021. Completed Separations Only</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><p>#
indicates a value of 5 or fewer</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>
</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><p>Where a suppressed
value could be calculated from other values, secondary suppression has been applied</p></td></tr><tr><td
colspan="7"><p>Breakdowns (i) to (v) do not include cases where the information is
not known The data are generated from internal management information. The entire
period reported on is from a time of regime restrictions to counter the spread of
Covid 19. Separations due to Covid 19 are not included in the numbers presented. The
bespoke returns used to generate this information were introduced in December 2019,
just prior to the Covid 19 restrictions.</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions children in (a) Oakhill
secure training centre and (b) each juvenile young offender institution spent 22 hours
locked in their cell in the 12 months ending 31 March 2022; and if he will breakdown
those figures by (i) age, (ii) sex, (iii) ethnicity of the child and (iv) the number
of children who were classed as disabled using the definition in Section 6 of the
Equality Act 2010.
<p>As the requested information is held at establishment level, rather than centrally,
it is not possible to provide it without incurring disproportionate cost.</p>