Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1454348

	registered interest
	date	25/03/2022
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Visits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prisons have resumed family days following the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham West and Penge
	tabling member printed	Ellie Reeves
	uin	147093
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/04/2022 answer text <p>We do not collect data centrally on which prisons hold family days. Anyone wishing to visit a prisoner should consult the following link to determine what facilities are available for doing so: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prisons-in-england-and-wales. HMPPS continues to fund contracted family service providers to support prisons in delivering family days subject to local restrictions within the prison.</p><p> </p><p>Our strategy for managing Covid-19 in prisons continues to be guided by our National Framework, which sets out the basis for decisions on the necessary level of Covid controls over time. All prisons in England and Wales have resumed social visits when safe to do so.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 04/04/2022 09:27:47 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4620 label Biography information for Ellie Reeves

1456483

	registered interest
	date	31/03/2022
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Visits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prisons have resumed family days following the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham West and Penge
	tabling member printed	Ellie Reeves
	uin	151244
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2022 answer text <p>I refer the honourable member to the answer I gave on Monday 4 April to PQ <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-03-25/147093" target="_blank">147093</a>.</p><p>&quot;We do not collect data centrally on which prisons hold family days. Anyone wishing to visit a prisoner should consult the following link to determine what facilities are available for doing so: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prisons-in-england-and-wales. HMPPS continues to fund contracted family service providers to support prisons in delivering family days subject to local restrictions within the prison.</p><p>Our strategy for managing Covid-19 in prisons continues to be guided by our National Framework, which sets out the basis for decisions on the necessary level of Covid controls over time. All prisons in England and Wales have resumed social visits when safe to do so.&quot;</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 25/04/2022 16:59:57 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4620 label Biography information for Ellie Reeves

1000222

	registered interest
	date	02/11/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Visits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of increasing the number of closed-contact visits in prisons to prevent smuggling.
	tabling member constituency	Hendon
	tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
	uin	187326
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>Visits play an important part of reducing reoffending as good relationships with family and friends is proved to reduce risk of reoffending.</p><p>The management and guidance for the use of closed visits is within Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 15/2011. The PSI specifies that closed visits should be imposed where there is an identified risk of smuggling prohibited items.</p><p>We recognise the benefits that Internet Based Video Services (IBVS) can provide in assisting prisoners with maintaining family ties. At present, however, prisoners are not allowed to use an IBVS as a way of communicating, due to operational concerns about the control measures available to safeguard the use of such communications. Work is currently underway to explore the options for the use of IBVS in establishments with strict safeguards in place, and the possibility of making greater use of such within prisons in the near future.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart grouped question UIN 187327 question first answered 12/11/2018 17:14:17 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

843546

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Visits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department provides on the provision of nursing rooms in prisons for the use by breastfeeding mothers who attend domestic visits.
	tabling member constituency	Bridgend
	tabling member printed	Mrs Madeleine Moon
	uin	127887
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2018 answer text <p>All prisons are expected to facilitate requests from nursing mothers to breastfeed their child during the course of a prison visit and must make every possible effort to accommodate these requests.</p><p>There is currently no central policy which sets out detailed arrangements for breastfeeding mothers who are visiting prisons and decisions on such matters are made locally. However, Prison Service Instruction 16/2011 (Providing Visits and Services to Visitors) requires prisons to take account of, inter alia, the needs of pregnant women and nursing mothers when leaving and returning to a prison establishment during a visit.</p><p>Information on the nursing facilities available at prisons across the prison estate is not centrally held and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart grouped question UIN 127888 question first answered 22/02/2018 17:32:15 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	1490 label Biography information for Mrs Madeleine Moon

843547

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Visits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the number of prisons that provide nursing rooms for the use by breastfeeding mothers who attend domestic visits.
	tabling member constituency	Bridgend
	tabling member printed	Mrs Madeleine Moon
	uin	127888
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2018 answer text <p>All prisons are expected to facilitate requests from nursing mothers to breastfeed their child during the course of a prison visit and must make every possible effort to accommodate these requests.</p><p>There is currently no central policy which sets out detailed arrangements for breastfeeding mothers who are visiting prisons and decisions on such matters are made locally. However, Prison Service Instruction 16/2011 (Providing Visits and Services to Visitors) requires prisons to take account of, inter alia, the needs of pregnant women and nursing mothers when leaving and returning to a prison establishment during a visit.</p><p>Information on the nursing facilities available at prisons across the prison estate is not centrally held and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.</p><p><strong> </strong></p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart grouped question UIN 127887 question first answered 22/02/2018 17:32:15 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	1490 label Biography information for Mrs Madeleine Moon

856945

	registered interest
	date	07/03/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Visits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff are employed by the Prison Service to book family and solicitor visits for prisoners and people on remand in prisons; on how many occasions phone lines and internet facilities to make those bookings were unavailable in January and February 2018; and what effect the level of unavailability had on solicitor visits during that time period.
	tabling member constituency	Preston
	tabling member printed	Sir Mark Hendrick
	uin	131457
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2018 answer text <p>Prisons in England and Wales are required to carry out these duties in line with Prison Service Instruction (PSI) 16/2011. This PSI can be found at: <a href="https://www.justice.gov.uk/offenders/psis/prison-service-instructions-2011" target="_blank">https://www.justice.gov.uk/offenders/psis/prison-service-instructions-2011</a></p><p> </p><p>This specific information requested is not collected centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 12/03/2018 15:35:29 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	473 label Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick

767646

	registered interest
	date	09/10/2017
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Visits
	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 on assisted prison visits of the system going online.
	tabling member constituency	Wythenshawe and Sale East
	tabling member printed	Mike Kane
	uin	106748
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2017 answer text <p>‘<strong>Help with Prison Visits’</strong> is a new digital service, launched in June 2017, that administers the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme in addition to the paper process. It has been essential to develop an alternative payment method for our most vulnerable claimants as giro cheques have been discontinued.</p><p>We have been monitoring and improving the service since it was launched and plan to evaluate implementation more fully in the New Year.</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 17/10/2017 16:39:25 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
	tabling member	4316 label Biography information for Mike Kane

1205709

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Visits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which prisons in England and Wales were providing virtual visits to prisoners on the 18 June 2020.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
	uin	61691
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>We have introduced a temporary emergency video calling service in recognition of the importance of maintaining family contact while social visits have been temporarily suspended in prisons in England and Wales. Due to the urgency of the situation and the complexity required in assessing and approving a solution to provide these services, a direct award under Regulation 32 (2) (c) was made. We have published information regarding the provision of video calls on GOV.UK and made clear we will continue to expand secure video calling to more establishments during this time.</p><p>The list of prisons providing video calling visits to prisoners on the 18 June 2020 was as follows; Berwyn, Bronzefiled, Buckley Hall, Chelmsford, Cookham Wood, Deerbolt, Downview, Durham, Eastwood Park, Feltham, Full Sutton, Gartree, Guys Marsh, High Down, Hull, Send, Stocken, Swinfen Hall, Wayland, Werrington, and Wetherby. We are currently engaged with further establishments to train and help prepare them to introduce this service, which means further establishments will go live at different times based on local preparedness. Some establishments have encountered local network and connectivity issues which have required bespoke technical solutions to be developed to allow them to commence live calls.</p><p>The Ministry of Justice does not hold a central list of offenders who are denied access, specific incidents that have led to issues, and the costs involved with the system broken down by prison. In principle, all prisoners will have access to video calls, however, Governors and Directors may withhold access from prisoners where, based on an assessment of risk, to do so is necessary, non-discriminatory and proportionate under Prison Rule 34 or YOI Rule 9. In these instances the reasons for withholding access must be recorded. As we are in the process of implementing provision more widely throughout the estate it is too early to make operational assessments, however, this will be conducted at a suitable time.</p><p>At the appropriate time, we will consider future options for video calling across the estate beyond Covid-19 restrictions, which may include a competition for such services.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 61692 61693 61694 61695 61696 61697 question first answered 30/06/2020 09:34:33 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1205710

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Visits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the timeframe is for each prison in England and Wales to provide virtual visits.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
	uin	61692
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>We have introduced a temporary emergency video calling service in recognition of the importance of maintaining family contact while social visits have been temporarily suspended in prisons in England and Wales. Due to the urgency of the situation and the complexity required in assessing and approving a solution to provide these services, a direct award under Regulation 32 (2) (c) was made. We have published information regarding the provision of video calls on GOV.UK and made clear we will continue to expand secure video calling to more establishments during this time.</p><p>The list of prisons providing video calling visits to prisoners on the 18 June 2020 was as follows; Berwyn, Bronzefiled, Buckley Hall, Chelmsford, Cookham Wood, Deerbolt, Downview, Durham, Eastwood Park, Feltham, Full Sutton, Gartree, Guys Marsh, High Down, Hull, Send, Stocken, Swinfen Hall, Wayland, Werrington, and Wetherby. We are currently engaged with further establishments to train and help prepare them to introduce this service, which means further establishments will go live at different times based on local preparedness. Some establishments have encountered local network and connectivity issues which have required bespoke technical solutions to be developed to allow them to commence live calls.</p><p>The Ministry of Justice does not hold a central list of offenders who are denied access, specific incidents that have led to issues, and the costs involved with the system broken down by prison. In principle, all prisoners will have access to video calls, however, Governors and Directors may withhold access from prisoners where, based on an assessment of risk, to do so is necessary, non-discriminatory and proportionate under Prison Rule 34 or YOI Rule 9. In these instances the reasons for withholding access must be recorded. As we are in the process of implementing provision more widely throughout the estate it is too early to make operational assessments, however, this will be conducted at a suitable time.</p><p>At the appropriate time, we will consider future options for video calling across the estate beyond Covid-19 restrictions, which may include a competition for such services.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 61691 61693 61694 61695 61696 61697 question first answered 30/06/2020 09:34:33 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1205711

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Visits
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on prisons in England and Wales that have experienced problems with the virtual visits system that resulted in (a) delayed visits and (b) the prevention of the provision of those visits.
	tabling member constituency	West Ham
	tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
	uin	61693
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>We have introduced a temporary emergency video calling service in recognition of the importance of maintaining family contact while social visits have been temporarily suspended in prisons in England and Wales. Due to the urgency of the situation and the complexity required in assessing and approving a solution to provide these services, a direct award under Regulation 32 (2) (c) was made. We have published information regarding the provision of video calls on GOV.UK and made clear we will continue to expand secure video calling to more establishments during this time.</p><p>The list of prisons providing video calling visits to prisoners on the 18 June 2020 was as follows; Berwyn, Bronzefiled, Buckley Hall, Chelmsford, Cookham Wood, Deerbolt, Downview, Durham, Eastwood Park, Feltham, Full Sutton, Gartree, Guys Marsh, High Down, Hull, Send, Stocken, Swinfen Hall, Wayland, Werrington, and Wetherby. We are currently engaged with further establishments to train and help prepare them to introduce this service, which means further establishments will go live at different times based on local preparedness. Some establishments have encountered local network and connectivity issues which have required bespoke technical solutions to be developed to allow them to commence live calls.</p><p>The Ministry of Justice does not hold a central list of offenders who are denied access, specific incidents that have led to issues, and the costs involved with the system broken down by prison. In principle, all prisoners will have access to video calls, however, Governors and Directors may withhold access from prisoners where, based on an assessment of risk, to do so is necessary, non-discriminatory and proportionate under Prison Rule 34 or YOI Rule 9. In these instances the reasons for withholding access must be recorded. As we are in the process of implementing provision more widely throughout the estate it is too early to make operational assessments, however, this will be conducted at a suitable time.</p><p>At the appropriate time, we will consider future options for video calling across the estate beyond Covid-19 restrictions, which may include a competition for such services.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 61691 61692 61694 61695 61696 61697 question first answered 30/06/2020 09:34:33 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown