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1184989

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by Lord Farmer The Farmer Review: The Importance of Strengthening Prisoners' Family Ties to Prevent Reoffending and Reduce Intergenerational Crime, published in August 2017, what consideration they have given to the recommendation that prisons should ensure that virtual visits, using video calling technology, are available "for the small percentage of families or individual family members who cannot visit frequently or at all due to infirmity, distance or other factors".
	tabling member printed	Lord Farmer
	uin	HL2578
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2020 answer text <p>HMPPS recognises that families or significant relationships can play an important role in supporting prisoners to reduce their risk of reoffending following release. We have implemented a number of the recommendations from the 2017 Farmer Review and continue to publish updates on progress on these every six months.</p><p>Visits have been suspended after the Government took vital steps to limit travel and social interactions in order to limit the spread of the virus. In recognition of the importance of continued contact with family, however, the Government has moved swiftly to keep prisoners in touch with their family members by other means.</p><p>As part of new measures introduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ministers have approved the use of 900 locked SIM card handsets, allowing risk-assessed prisoners to speak to a small number of pre-authorised contacts.</p><p>Strict measures will ensure the phones are not misused with calls being time-limited and monitored closely. Additionally, handsets will include tamper-proof tape to prevent non-secure SIM cards being used.</p><p>As well as helping prisoners connect with their families, the phones will give prisoners access to support services such as the Samaritans, therefore reducing their risk of self-harm at a uniquely difficult time.</p><p>We are also urgently exploring options for the safe and secure use of video solutions in a range of establishments to facilitate family video calling. We expect that this approach will be available imminently to support the current situation, but beyond this, will consider how best to utilise the video-calling services to enable prisoners to maintain contact where they have historically not received regular visits.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL2579 question first answered 27/03/2020 11:02:09 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4321 label Biography information for Lord Farmer

1184990

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidance has been given to prison governors about visits from family and significant others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
	tabling member printed	Lord Farmer
	uin	HL2579
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2020 answer text <p>HMPPS recognises that families or significant relationships can play an important role in supporting prisoners to reduce their risk of reoffending following release. We have implemented a number of the recommendations from the 2017 Farmer Review and continue to publish updates on progress on these every six months.</p><p>Visits have been suspended after the Government took vital steps to limit travel and social interactions in order to limit the spread of the virus. In recognition of the importance of continued contact with family, however, the Government has moved swiftly to keep prisoners in touch with their family members by other means.</p><p>As part of new measures introduced because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ministers have approved the use of 900 locked SIM card handsets, allowing risk-assessed prisoners to speak to a small number of pre-authorised contacts.</p><p>Strict measures will ensure the phones are not misused with calls being time-limited and monitored closely. Additionally, handsets will include tamper-proof tape to prevent non-secure SIM cards being used.</p><p>As well as helping prisoners connect with their families, the phones will give prisoners access to support services such as the Samaritans, therefore reducing their risk of self-harm at a uniquely difficult time.</p><p>We are also urgently exploring options for the safe and secure use of video solutions in a range of establishments to facilitate family video calling. We expect that this approach will be available imminently to support the current situation, but beyond this, will consider how best to utilise the video-calling services to enable prisoners to maintain contact where they have historically not received regular visits.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL2578 question first answered 27/03/2020 11:02:09 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4321 label Biography information for Lord Farmer

1251625

	registered interest
	date	12/11/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in increasing awareness of the Assisted Prisons Visits scheme among (1) prisoners, and (2) visitors, since the publication of the report by the National Offender Management Service Families Do Matter Project Report 2009, which found that 38 per cent of prisoners and visitors were unaware of that scheme.
	tabling member printed	Lord Farmer
	uin	HL10280
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2020 answer text <p>A new online Help with Visits service (formerly known as the Assisted Prison Visits Scheme) was introduced in June 2017 to simplify the application process and the ease of access to the service for members of the public who are visiting prisons.</p><p> </p><p>Family service providers have continued to assist HMPPS with raising the profile of the Help with Visits Scheme and, through their service user forum, have provided feedback on the design of the updated literature. This will be launched once Covid-19 restrictions ease across the prison estate.</p><p> </p><p>Additionally, a pilot across a number of prisons will be used to review eligibility criteria to help inform potential changes that may be made to improve access to social visits for prisoners and their families.</p> answering member printed Baroness Scott of Bybrook question first answered 26/11/2020 17:19:26 answering member 4553 label Biography information for Baroness Scott of Bybrook
	tabling member	4321 label Biography information for Lord Farmer

1253369

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect family visits to prisoners in England and Wales to resume; and whether they intend to give priority to the most vulnerable (1) prisoners, and (2) families.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL10476
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/12/2020 answer text <p>Following the reintroduction of national lockdown measures on 5 November, we have paused face-to-face social visits in prisons in England. There are exemptions for compassionate reasons, including visits to children in custody. Family visits in Wales are permitted, although in some establishments with active outbreaks they have been temporarily suspended on public health grounds. We will reintroduce face-to-face social visits as soon as safe to do so, guided by public health advice alongside an operational assessment of what can safely be implemented.</p><p>Prioritisation of visits is done locally, but we have instructed governors to consider the needs of vulnerable prisoners in their implementation plans.</p> answering member printed Baroness Scott of Bybrook question first answered 02/12/2020 13:42:40 answering member 4553 label Biography information for Baroness Scott of Bybrook
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1285816

	registered interest
	date	10/02/2021
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken in the last 12 months to maintain visiting rights for prisoners while there have been restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic; how many visits were permitted for each category of prisoner each month; what estimate they have made of the percentage of all prisoners who have received visitors since March 2020; and whether all prison visitors are required to produce a negative COVID-19 test.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Altmann
	uin	HL13220
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>In response to COVID-19, the MoJ/HMPPS took decisive action to protect staff and prisoners. These changes are set out in ‘COVID-19: National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services’, available attached and here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-national-framework-for-prison-regimes-and-services" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-national-framework-for-prison-regimes-and-services</a>. In line with this framework and public health advice, at different times during the pandemic social face-to-face visits in the adult estate have had to be temporarily suspended (other than on exceptional compassionate grounds which need to be agreed in advance with the prison). Visits to children in the Youth Custody Estate (YCS) have continued. Official/ legal visits have continued, conducted remotely where possible.</p><p> </p><p>Social visits during the pandemic have taken place in line with the National Framework and a regime Exception Delivery Model with additional measures put in place to ensure that they can do so in a COVID-19 secure manner. These have had to include restricting the numbers of visits, length of visits and numbers of visitors in each session. We do not require evidence of a negative test as a pre-cursor to visiting. Decisions as to how visits operate at each establishment within this framework are determined through locally led assessments informed by Public Health advice. Information on how visits operate is set out on each establishment’s information page on GOV.UK, available here; <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prisons-in-england-and-wales" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prisons-in-england-and-wales</a>, and communicated to those wishing to visit as part of the local booking arrangements. In line with the National Framework, arrangements for social visits remain under constant review in light of public health guidance.</p><p> </p><p>Data on the numbers of visits is not collated and held nationally. This information cannot therefore be provided without disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>As part of a wider package of measures to enable those in prison and the YCS to maintain contact with families and significant others throughout the pandemic, we also introduced circa 1,500 additional mobile PIN phones, have provided additional PIN credit and have introduced an emergency secure Video Calling service which to date has supported over 100,000 calls.</p> answering member printed Lord Wolfson of Tredegar question first answered 24/02/2021 17:41:33 answering member 4901 label Biography information for Lord Wolfson of Tredegar attachment 1 file name prisons-national-framework.pdf title PDF
	tabling member	4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann

1302302

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2021
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what criteria need to be satisfied to allow family visits of prisoners to resume; what date they plan to resume family visits of prisoners; and what plans they have to provide more video-capable telephones in prisons.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL14188
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2021 answer text <p>Social visits in adult prisons have been suspended during the period of national lockdown, but will resume once it is safe to do so.</p><p>Decisions will be based on public health advice, assessments of local outbreaks and ability to safely facilitate visits, and so dates may vary between different sites. No sites will resume visits before the end of March when the ‘stay at home’ order is expected to be lifted under the government roadmap on easing restrictions.</p><p>Visits to children in the youth custody estate and compassionate visits to adult establishments have continued throughout national lockdown.</p><p>Secure video calls have now been introduced at all prisons across England and Wales, though there are no plans to provide video-capable telephones at this time. Currently 66% of prison cells have in-cell telephony. Additionally, within open prisons, mobile phones have been permitted as a transitional measure for family contact. Further considerations for their use are being made in line with regime recovery and availability of secure video calls across all open prisons.</p> answering member printed Lord Wolfson of Tredegar question first answered 26/03/2021 14:21:37 answering member 4901 label Biography information for Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1304490

	registered interest
	date	22/03/2021
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to prioritise the use of videophones by prisoners with children while family visits are not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and what plans they have for similar prioritisation for prisoners held at long-distance from their families when the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic have ended.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL14442
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/04/2021 answer text <p>We are committed to continuing to offer secure video calling after the current Covid-19 restrictions have ended, and are considering future options in line with the recommendations of Lord Farmer’s reviews for maintaining family ties. We will continue to be guided by public health advice, and we will work with our stakeholders to inform our longer-term planning.</p><p> </p><p>Secure video calls are now running in all public and private prisons and Young Offender Institutions across England and Wales. This was introduced alongside other measures to support family engagement, such as additional mobile phone handsets and extra phone credit while social visits have been suspended. Social visits in the Youth Custody Service estate have continued and on compassionate grounds in the adult estate.</p> answering member printed Lord Wolfson of Tredegar question first answered 07/04/2021 12:44:38 answering member 4901 label Biography information for Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

439092

	registered interest
	date	16/12/2015
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Barnardo's recent report <i>Locked Out: Children's experiences of visiting a parent in prison, </i>in particular claims that visits by children to fathers who are in prison are severely restricted<i>.</i>
	tabling member printed	Baroness Howe of Idlicote
	uin	HL4638
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2015 answer text <p>The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.</p><p>All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks grouped question UIN HL4639 HL4640 HL4641 question first answered 22/12/2015 16:58:52 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
	tabling member	3610 label Biography information for Baroness Howe of Idlicote

439093

	registered interest
	date	16/12/2015
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations in Barnardo's recent report <i>Locked Out: Children's experiences of visiting a parent in prison</i>.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Howe of Idlicote
	uin	HL4639
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2015 answer text <p>The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.</p><p>All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks grouped question UIN HL4638 HL4640 HL4641 question first answered 22/12/2015 16:58:52 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
	tabling member	3610 label Biography information for Baroness Howe of Idlicote

439094

	registered interest
	date	16/12/2015
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of Barnardo's in the recent report <i>Locked Out: Children's experiences of visiting a parent in prison</i>, that visits by children to fathers in prison should be removed from the incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Howe of Idlicote
	uin	HL4640
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/12/2015 answer text <p>The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.</p><p>All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks grouped question UIN HL4638 HL4639 HL4641 question first answered 22/12/2015 16:58:52 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
	tabling member	3610 label Biography information for Baroness Howe of Idlicote