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1249232

registered interest
date	05/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Access
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the accessibility of all court buildings in England and Wales.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	112053
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2020 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring our courts are accessible to all our users and we aim to list cases at suitable venues when there are access needs.</p><p>HMCTS will provide reasonable adjustments for court and tribunal users with disabilities and takes steps to avoid treating people less favourably because of their disability. Court and tribunal users are encouraged to get in touch before a hearing to discuss any particular adjustments they may need. Various mitigations will be explored, depending on the support required. For buildings, adjustments may include use of video-conferencing from a remote site, ensuring venues have ramps or accessible toilets, lifts able to accommodate wheelchairs, or hearing loops.</p><p>The modernisation and investment taking place across the justice system will mean that fewer people will need to attend court, as we make use of technology such as video-conferencing and online services. We have rapidly expanded our audio and video technology capability in direct response to the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19), enabling more remote hearings which reduce the need for people to attend a physical court building.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 10/11/2020 15:59:25 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1249233

registered interest
date	05/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Judiciary: Equality
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 encourage increased diversity among (a) judicial appointments to the Supreme Court during its current recruitment process and (b) all judicial appointments.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	112054
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2020 answer text <p>The selection process for a new Justice of the Supreme Court is laid down in the Constitutional Reform Act 2005. The Lord Chancellor convenes a selection commission, which is chaired by the President of the Supreme Court and includes another UK judge and three lay members.</p><p>Following consultation with the Lord Chancellor, the selection commission has issued materials which make clear that it welcomes applications from the widest range of applicants eligible to apply, including those who are not currently full-time judges, and particularly encourages applications from those who would increase the diversity of the Court. The selection commission has launched targeted digital adverts and promoted the vacancy to relevant committees and groups of the Law Society, Bar Council and the Society of Legal Scholars (an association of university teachers of law), the Government Legal Service and equivalent government legal departments in the devolved nations.</p><p>This activity is further supported by:</p><ul><li>A series of short podcasts, featuring interviews with serving Justices, which will launch on the Supreme Court’s website later this week. Justices speak about their career path and why they applied to become a Justice, as well as sharing insights into what the process felt like and what advice they would give someone thinking of applying; and</li><li>The offer of a confidential familiarisation telephone call, to discuss working at the Supreme Court with the Chief Executive or a Justice, for eligible candidates.</li><li>Under changes introduced by the Crime and Courts Act 2013, where two candidates are deemed to be of equal merit, the commission can give preference to one candidate over the other for the purpose of increasing diversity within the Court.</li></ul><p>The Lord Chancellor has a shared statutory responsibility for judicial diversity alongside the Lord Chief Justice and the Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC). All three are members of the Judicial Diversity Forum, which brings together leaders from organisations across the legal sector to improve judicial diversity.</p><p>The Judicial Diversity Forum’s first combined statistical report was published on 17 September 2020, bringing together data on the diversity of the judiciary, judicial appointments and from the relevant legal professions (solicitors, barristers and legal executives). Published alongside the statistical report is a summary of the wide range of actions that its members are undertaking – at different career stages, either collectively or individually to help increase judicial diversity. The statistical report and the Action Plan were published on the Judicial Appointments Commission website: <a href="https://www.judicialappointments.gov.uk/news/new-combined-statistical-report-gives-insight-diversity-judiciary" target="_blank">https://www.judicialappointments.gov.uk/news/new-combined-statistical-report-gives-insight-diversity-judiciary</a></p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 10/11/2020 18:59:21 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1249235

registered interest
date	05/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Magistrates: Age
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of extending the cut-off age for magistrates beyond 70 on the administration of justice in magistrates' courts; and whether his Department plans to implement that change.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	112055
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2020 answer text <p>The Government has consulted on an increase to the mandatory retirement age for all judicial office holders, including magistrates. That consultation set out our assessment that increasing the mandatory retirement age could help to retain valuable judicial resource and expertise.</p><p>The consultation closed on 16 October, with over 1000 responses received from the magistracy, judiciary and legal professions and analysis of these responses is underway. We intend to publish the Government’s response in the near future, with a view to legislate for any changes we decide to make at the earliest opportunity.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 10/11/2020 17:11:50 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1249913

registered interest
date	05/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) artificial intelligence and (b) machine learning projects are being (i) undertaken and (ii) considered for his Department.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	112082
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2020 answer text <p>The department does not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML) in the true definition across its services. The department has an Analytical Platform which spots trends and create links between data sets; however, this wouldn’t fall under either category. A case study on the Analytical Platform can be found here:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/choose-tools-and-infrastructure-to-make-better-use-of-your-data#case-study---using-data-science-with-the-ministry-of-justice-analytical-platform" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/choose-tools-and-infrastructure-to-make-better-use-of-your-data#case-study---using-data-science-with-the-ministry-of-justice-analytical-platform</a></p><p> </p><p>With its analytical platform, the department has built a set of tools that provide the basis for the potential development of AI/ML tools, and alongside this, we are undertaking a project that builds on the Office for Artificial Intelligence guidance to develop practical tools and governance to support the ethical development of any future AL/ML project. The Government’s Data Ethics Framework and ‘Guide to Using AI in the Public Sector’, alongside other guidance are available on GOV.UK, to support ethical and safe use of algorithms in the public sector.</p><p> </p><p>The Department continues to review where artificial intelligence or machine learning would add value to undertaking its duties. In most circumstances we use software in place of machine learning or Artificial Intelligence.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 12/11/2020 13:27:06 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1249948

registered interest
date	05/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Offences against Children: Criminal Proceedings
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 effect of the backlog in the criminal justice system of cases involving sexual abuse of children and young people on victims and their families.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham East
tabling member printed	Nadia Whittome
uin	112139
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to understanding and mitigating the impact that caseloads in the criminal justice system are having on victims, including victims of child sexual abuse.</p><p>Part of this is achieved through ensuring that criminal courts’ recovery remains on track. We are making excellent progress and now have over 250 jury rooms open. Further courtrooms will continue to be made available in the existing estate and in Nightingale courts. Young victims of sexual abuse will also benefit from the accelerated rollout of the Section 28 (Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence (YJCE) Act 1999) (pre-recorded cross examination and re-examination) service for vulnerable witnesses, which includes all children under 18.</p><p>To support victims of childhood sexual abuse in their recovery, we have doubled the funding available for voluntary sector organisations providing direct support to victims and survivors of abuse at a national level to £2.4 million until 2022. This will provide vital national services including support lines, online resources and remote counselling.</p><p>The Ministry of Justice has also awarded £12 million to 91 rape support centres across England and Wales to provide independent, specialist support to female and male victims of sexual violence. This is an increase of £4 million from 2019/20 and includes £1.8 million of ringfenced funding for victims of recent and non-recent child sexual abuse. This new funding is in addition to the £4.8 million per annum already provided to Police and Crime Commissioners by the MoJ to support victims of child sexual abuse (part of the £69m provided this year for them to commission victim support services based on local need).</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 12/11/2020 13:28:14 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4869 label Biography information for Nadia Whittome

1249981

registered interest
date	05/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Five Wells Prison: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many full time equivalent staff of each (a) grade and (b) rank will be employed at HMP Five Wells from 2022.
tabling member constituency	Luton South
tabling member printed	Rachel Hopkins
uin	112152
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2020 answer text <p>In response to questions 112152 and 112154, we do not plan to publish staffing levels for HMP Five Wells. The operator contracts between the Department and all private prison providers require the Contractor to be responsible for all staffing matters, including ensuring staff have the training and experience necessary for safe and decent prisons. This is monitored to ensure the standards are maintained across the lifetime of the contract.</p><p> </p><p>In response to 112153, mandating minimum staffing levels for private prison operators would restrict their ability to introduce and foster innovation, and their flexibility to adjust their staffing levels across the lifetime of the contract according to the needs and demands created by any changes to the prison population or in risk. It could also deter them from engaging with expertise and professional support in the local and wider community and hinder their ability to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities. As such, the contract for the operation of HMP Five Wells does not include minimum staffing levels or staff-to-prisoner ratios.</p><p> </p><p>However, we rigorously and robustly evaluated staffing levels as part of the evaluation process for the operator competition for HMP Five Wells. We are confident that the new prison operator, G4S has an approach and staffing model that will provide and ensure a decent, safe, secure and rehabilitative environment.</p><p> </p><p>In response to question 112155, prisoner-on-prisoner and prisoner-on-staff assaults will feature as contract delivery indicators within the performance framework for HMP Five Wells. Similarly, levels of prisoner self-harm will be covered in the framework through contract delivery indicators compared against HMIP Safety scores and the HMPPS Risk Management Audit. Performance in this area will also be published as part of the standard and regularly published statistics once the prison is operating and at full capacity.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 112153 112154 112155 question first answered 13/11/2020 12:54:59 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4873 label Biography information for Rachel Hopkins

1249982

registered interest
date	05/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Five Wells Prison: Staff
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether contracts for staff of HMP Five Wells from 2022 will contain minimum (a) staffing levels and (b) staff-to-prisoner ratios; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Luton South
tabling member printed	Rachel Hopkins
uin	112153
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2020 answer text <p>In response to questions 112152 and 112154, we do not plan to publish staffing levels for HMP Five Wells. The operator contracts between the Department and all private prison providers require the Contractor to be responsible for all staffing matters, including ensuring staff have the training and experience necessary for safe and decent prisons. This is monitored to ensure the standards are maintained across the lifetime of the contract.</p><p> </p><p>In response to 112153, mandating minimum staffing levels for private prison operators would restrict their ability to introduce and foster innovation, and their flexibility to adjust their staffing levels across the lifetime of the contract according to the needs and demands created by any changes to the prison population or in risk. It could also deter them from engaging with expertise and professional support in the local and wider community and hinder their ability to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities. As such, the contract for the operation of HMP Five Wells does not include minimum staffing levels or staff-to-prisoner ratios.</p><p> </p><p>However, we rigorously and robustly evaluated staffing levels as part of the evaluation process for the operator competition for HMP Five Wells. We are confident that the new prison operator, G4S has an approach and staffing model that will provide and ensure a decent, safe, secure and rehabilitative environment.</p><p> </p><p>In response to question 112155, prisoner-on-prisoner and prisoner-on-staff assaults will feature as contract delivery indicators within the performance framework for HMP Five Wells. Similarly, levels of prisoner self-harm will be covered in the framework through contract delivery indicators compared against HMIP Safety scores and the HMPPS Risk Management Audit. Performance in this area will also be published as part of the standard and regularly published statistics once the prison is operating and at full capacity.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 112152 112154 112155 question first answered 13/11/2020 12:54:59 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4873 label Biography information for Rachel Hopkins

1249983

registered interest
date	05/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Five Wells Prison: Staff
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 publish expected staffing levels for HMP Five Wells; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Luton South
tabling member printed	Rachel Hopkins
uin	112154
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2020 answer text <p>In response to questions 112152 and 112154, we do not plan to publish staffing levels for HMP Five Wells. The operator contracts between the Department and all private prison providers require the Contractor to be responsible for all staffing matters, including ensuring staff have the training and experience necessary for safe and decent prisons. This is monitored to ensure the standards are maintained across the lifetime of the contract.</p><p> </p><p>In response to 112153, mandating minimum staffing levels for private prison operators would restrict their ability to introduce and foster innovation, and their flexibility to adjust their staffing levels across the lifetime of the contract according to the needs and demands created by any changes to the prison population or in risk. It could also deter them from engaging with expertise and professional support in the local and wider community and hinder their ability to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities. As such, the contract for the operation of HMP Five Wells does not include minimum staffing levels or staff-to-prisoner ratios.</p><p> </p><p>However, we rigorously and robustly evaluated staffing levels as part of the evaluation process for the operator competition for HMP Five Wells. We are confident that the new prison operator, G4S has an approach and staffing model that will provide and ensure a decent, safe, secure and rehabilitative environment.</p><p> </p><p>In response to question 112155, prisoner-on-prisoner and prisoner-on-staff assaults will feature as contract delivery indicators within the performance framework for HMP Five Wells. Similarly, levels of prisoner self-harm will be covered in the framework through contract delivery indicators compared against HMIP Safety scores and the HMPPS Risk Management Audit. Performance in this area will also be published as part of the standard and regularly published statistics once the prison is operating and at full capacity.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 112152 112153 112155 question first answered 13/11/2020 12:54:59 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4873 label Biography information for Rachel Hopkins

1249984

registered interest
date	05/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Five Wells Prison: Crimes of Violence and Self-harm
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 include levels of (a) prisoner-on-prisoner assaults, (b) prisoner-on-staff assaults and (c) prisoner self-harm in the contractual key performance indicators for the operator of HMP Five Wells from 2022; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Luton South
tabling member printed	Rachel Hopkins
uin	112155
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/11/2020 answer text <p>In response to questions 112152 and 112154, we do not plan to publish staffing levels for HMP Five Wells. The operator contracts between the Department and all private prison providers require the Contractor to be responsible for all staffing matters, including ensuring staff have the training and experience necessary for safe and decent prisons. This is monitored to ensure the standards are maintained across the lifetime of the contract.</p><p> </p><p>In response to 112153, mandating minimum staffing levels for private prison operators would restrict their ability to introduce and foster innovation, and their flexibility to adjust their staffing levels across the lifetime of the contract according to the needs and demands created by any changes to the prison population or in risk. It could also deter them from engaging with expertise and professional support in the local and wider community and hinder their ability to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities. As such, the contract for the operation of HMP Five Wells does not include minimum staffing levels or staff-to-prisoner ratios.</p><p> </p><p>However, we rigorously and robustly evaluated staffing levels as part of the evaluation process for the operator competition for HMP Five Wells. We are confident that the new prison operator, G4S has an approach and staffing model that will provide and ensure a decent, safe, secure and rehabilitative environment.</p><p> </p><p>In response to question 112155, prisoner-on-prisoner and prisoner-on-staff assaults will feature as contract delivery indicators within the performance framework for HMP Five Wells. Similarly, levels of prisoner self-harm will be covered in the framework through contract delivery indicators compared against HMIP Safety scores and the HMPPS Risk Management Audit. Performance in this area will also be published as part of the standard and regularly published statistics once the prison is operating and at full capacity.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 112152 112153 112154 question first answered 13/11/2020 12:55:00 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4873 label Biography information for Rachel Hopkins

1248715

registered interest
date	04/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Barristers: Northern Ireland
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 effect on access to justice of barristers registered with the Bar of Northern Ireland and who are based in Great Britain reportedly being precluded from claiming travel and accommodation expenses in connection with Northern Ireland court cases.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	111519
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2020 answer text <p>Under the framework established by the Legal Services Act 2007, the legal services sector in England and Wales is independent of government, and lawyers are regulated by their own independent regulators. Similarly, the Government is not responsible for the regulation of legal services in Northern Ireland. The Code of Conduct of the Bar Council of Northern Ireland sets out how barristers practicing in Northern Ireland should calculate their fees and expenses for a case.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 10/11/2020 17:27:28 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon