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1716911

	registered interest
	date	09/05/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Construction
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's press release entitled First Rapid Deployment Cells unveiled to boost prison places, published on 3 March 2023, how many such cells have been built as of 9 May 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
	tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
	uin	25498
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>As part of our commitment to build 20,000 prison places, the largest prison build programme since the Victorian era, we have so far delivered c.730 Rapid Deployment Cells (RDCs) across 13 sites, and we are pushing ahead with hundreds more.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 14/05/2024 16:39:28 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1716483

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Nitazenes
	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 level of availability of nitazenes in prisons.
	tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
	tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
	uin	25240
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>Since February 2024, all prisoners subject to mandatory drug testing in prisons have been tested for fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. We are working closely with our contracted drug testing provider to further improve our capabilities to test prisoners for other synthetic opioids, including nitazenes.</p><p> </p><p>Forensic testing of suspected drug finds was made available to all public sector prisons in April 2023. Our contracted forensic analysis provider has capability to detect synthetic opioids including all fentanyls and nitazenes.</p><p> </p><p>All prisons have a zero-tolerance approach to drugs and we are aware of the threat synthetic drugs present. Our current assessment is that there is a low prevalence of Nitazenes in prison custody. However, we are alert to the risks and continue to monitor this.</p><p> </p><p>Our £100 million investment in tough security measures, such as X-ray body scanners, is helping tackle the supply of illicit drugs into prisons.</p><p> </p><p>To prevent the smuggling of drugs through the mail, we have also invested in next-generation drug trace detection machines. As of March 2024, every public sector prison now has this cutting-edge technology.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 25241 question first answered 14/05/2024 16:25:47 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1716484

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Nitazenes
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether mandatory random drug testing in prisons includes testing for nitrazenes.
	tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
	tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
	uin	25241
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>Since February 2024, all prisoners subject to mandatory drug testing in prisons have been tested for fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. We are working closely with our contracted drug testing provider to further improve our capabilities to test prisoners for other synthetic opioids, including nitazenes.</p><p> </p><p>Forensic testing of suspected drug finds was made available to all public sector prisons in April 2023. Our contracted forensic analysis provider has capability to detect synthetic opioids including all fentanyls and nitazenes.</p><p> </p><p>All prisons have a zero-tolerance approach to drugs and we are aware of the threat synthetic drugs present. Our current assessment is that there is a low prevalence of Nitazenes in prison custody. However, we are alert to the risks and continue to monitor this.</p><p> </p><p>Our £100 million investment in tough security measures, such as X-ray body scanners, is helping tackle the supply of illicit drugs into prisons.</p><p> </p><p>To prevent the smuggling of drugs through the mail, we have also invested in next-generation drug trace detection machines. As of March 2024, every public sector prison now has this cutting-edge technology.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 25240 question first answered 14/05/2024 16:25:47 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1716488

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Parc Prison: Staff
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison (a) officers and (b) staff have been investigated for (i) drug smuggling and (ii) corruption at HMP Parc in each of the last four years.
	tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
	tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
	uin	25242
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 14/05/2024 16:27:36 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1715799

	registered interest
	date	03/05/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Long Lartin Prison and Whitemoor Prison: Crimes of Violence
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many incidences of (a) assault and (b) serious assault were committed against prison staff at (i) HMP Long Lartin and (ii) HMP Whitemoor in each of the last four years.
	tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
	tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
	uin	24757
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>We publish the number of assaults and serious assaults against prison staff, broken down by establishment, as part of our Safety in Custody statistics, in Table 8e and 8f of the summary tables, available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/662a24fb690acb1c0ba7e57c/Safety-in-custody-summary-q4-2023_final_table.xlsx." target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/662a24fb690acb1c0ba7e57c/Safety-in-custody-summary-q4-2023_final_table.xlsx.</a></p><p>Totals for those occurring at HMP Long Lartin can be seen at row 94, and for HMP Whitemoor at row 151.</p><p>Improving the safety of staff and prisoners is our priority and while overall assault rates remain below pre-pandemic levels, we will continue to protect our hardworking staff through our £100 million security investment that led to X-ray body scanners, airport style security measures and drug dogs.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 13/05/2024 08:54:40 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1715800

	registered interest
	date	03/05/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Long Lartin Prison and Whitemoor Prison: Prison Officers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers were deployed on detached duty to (a) HMP Long Lartin and (b) HMP Whitemoor in each of the last four years.
	tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
	tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
	uin	24758
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>Staff are deployed on national detached duty (NDD) as a tactical response to support prisons which require it, to cover staffing shortfalls or to meet other operational requirements. NDD is a vital contingency measure to assist H M Prison &amp; Probation Service to maintain good order and security in prisons</p><p>The table below shows the average monthly deployment of full-time equivalent NDD staff to the two prisons between October 2022 and April 2024. HMP Whitemoor is no longer receiving NDD support. Except as shown in the table, no NDD staff were deployed to either site during the past four years.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>HMP Whitemoor</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>HMP Long Lartin</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Oct 2022</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>13.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nov 2022</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>36.25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dec 2022</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>40.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan 2023</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Feb 2023</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>41</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mar 2023</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>37.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Apr 2023</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>44.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>May 2023</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>61.6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jun 2023</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>60.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jul 2023</p></td><td><p>4.5</p></td><td><p>55.75</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Aug 2023</p></td><td><p>23.4</p></td><td><p>61.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sep 2023</p></td><td><p>31.25</p></td><td><p>65.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Oct 2023</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>64</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nov 2023</p></td><td><p>31</p></td><td><p>65.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dec 2023</p></td><td><p>28.5</p></td><td><p>57</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan 2024</p></td><td><p>27.5</p></td><td><p>46.75</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Feb 2024</p></td><td><p>23.2</p></td><td><p>32.6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mar 2024</p></td><td><p>13.25</p></td><td><p>27.5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Apr 2024</p></td><td><p>7.5</p></td><td><p>27</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 13/05/2024 11:47:14 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1715175

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison Officers: Vacancies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department have made a risk assessment of prison officer vacancies in the Long Term High Security Estate.
	tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
	tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
	uin	24485
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>We closely monitor staffing levels across the estate via a number of internal governance forums, which assess the vacancy levels for individual prisons and across regions and functions, including the Long Term High Security Estate (LTHSE). Vacancies are one of a number of contributory factors that determine HMPPS' assessment of risk and stability within prisons. We will always ensure that prisons are sufficiently staffed to deliver safe and secure regimes. Where establishments feel that their staffing levels will affect stability or regime, including because of vacancies, there are a number of ways they can maximise the use of their own resource and seek support from other establishments in the short term, through processes managed nationally at Agency level. These include overtime payments and support via Detached Duty staff from other prisons.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing recruitment activity at all sites with a current or future need, including in the LTHSE. Nationally, we have seen a substantial improvement in the national staffing picture within prisons over the past year. The number of Band 3-5 prison officers increased by 1,634 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) between December 2022 and December 2023, and resignation rates have fallen over the same period. This is the result of significant efforts across the agency, including substantial increases in pay for staff, our first-ever nationwide advertising campaign, incentivized recruitment schemes where we incentivised applicants to relocate to ‘harder-to-staff’ sites, and the Prison Officer Alumni Network, where we have fast-tracked former staff back into the service.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 07/05/2024 11:24:44 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1713469

	registered interest
	date	24/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison Officers: Vacancies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many vacancies there were for band 3 prison officers in the Long Term High Security Estate - South at the start of each year from 2017 to 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
	tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
	uin	23505
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2024 answer text <p>Following a period of staffing challenges after the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a substantial improvement in the national staffing picture within prisons. The number of Band 3-5 prison officers has increased by 1,634 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) between December 2022 - 2023, and resignation rates have fallen over the same period. This is the result of significant efforts across the agency, including substantial increases in pay for staff and launching our first-ever nationwide advertising campaign. <br> <br> Table One below shows the number of indicative vacancies for Band 3 Prison Officers in the Long Term &amp; High Security Estate (for prisons in the South) for January 2018, January 2019, January 2020, January 2021, January 2022 and January 2023. Data is not held for the period January 2017 and has not been provided.</p><p> </p><p>In reality, many establishments will routinely sit marginally below their Target Staffing level due to normal attrition and time to hire and so we would not expect establishments to run consistently at 100% staffing.</p><p> </p><p>Where prisons are not at their Target Staffing level, these are routinely supplemented (e.g., by using Payment Plus, a form of overtime) which is not accounted for in the indicative vacancy data provided. Use of detached duty, a long-standing mechanism to deploy staff from one prison or region to support another, is also not reflected in the data.</p><p> </p><p><strong><br> Table One: Total Band 3 Prison Officer Indicative Vacancies across Long Term &amp; High Security Estate (LTHSE) South, January 2018 to January 2023</strong></p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Month</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Indicative vacancies (FTE)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan-18</p></td><td><p>104</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan-19</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan-20</p></td><td><p>62</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan-21</p></td><td><p>86</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan-22</p></td><td><p>127</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan-23</p></td><td><p>323</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>Notes </strong></p><ul><li>All data is taken from Workforce Planning Tool returns and show the average position across January for each year, adjusted for joiners and leavers in the month.</li><li>Workforce Planning Tool returns are manually completed by Prisons each month and, as with any manual returns, are subject to human error.</li><li>Data shows average resource across the month, adjusted for joiners and leavers in the month.</li><li>The Long Term &amp; High Security Estate South includes: Belmarsh, Isle of Wight, Long Lartin, Swaleside, Whitemoor and Woodhill.</li><li>Indicative vacancies are the difference between Target Staffing levels and Staff in Post at an individual establishment level. Where Staff in Post (FTE) exceeds Target Staffing (FTE) for an establishment, the number of indicative vacancies has been shown as 0 FTE. Indicative vacancies have been summed across establishments to give the number of indicative vacancies for LTHSE South.</li><li>Target Staffing level is the number of staff required to run an optimal regime in each prison. This level is greater than the minimum number of staff required for a prison to operate safely, and includes allowances for staff taking leave, being off sick or being on training.</li><li>The Target Staffing Figures are set on a site-specific basis and vary in size. Over the reporting period in question, Target Staffing levels for the LTHSE estate has increased which in part explains the increase in vacancies.</li><li>Band 3 Prison Officers include 'Prison Officer - Band 3' and 'Prison Officer - Youth Justice Worker - Band 3'.</li><li>Target Staffing levels are established based on a 39-hour working week. Staff in Post (FTE) is set at 1.0 FTE for those on a 39-hour contract / 1.05 FTE for those on a 41-hour contract and 0.95 FTE for those on a 37-hour contract.</li><li>Target Staffing levels cannot be used to directly calculate vacancies due to the discretion governors have to change establishment level staffing requirements through Governors' Freedoms. As a result, the Ministry of Justice does not regularly present vacancy data and the data presented should be treated with caution.</li><li>Staff in Post data used to calculate an indicative number of vacancies does not take into account those on long-term absences (e.g. career breaks / loans / secondments / agency staff or other forms of overtime).</li><li>Where prisons are not at their Target Staffing level, these are routinely supplemented (e.g., by using Payment Plus, a form of overtime) which is not accounted for in the indicative vacancy data provided. Use of detached duty, a long-standing mechanism to deploy staff from one prison or region to support another, is also not reflected in the data.</li></ul><p> </p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 30/04/2024 15:10:38 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1713070

	registered interest
	date	23/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoners' Release
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were released under the executive release scheme in each year between 2017 and 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
	tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
	uin	23202
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>In the case of recalled standard determinate sentence and extended sentence offenders, the Secretary of State has an executive power to re-release them, if he considers that the statutory release test is met - that is, that it is no longer necessary on the grounds of public protection for the offender to remain confined. Thus, the Secretary of State’s power is exercised with regard to the same test to which the Parole Board has regard.</p><p>The power is exercised by officials in the Public Protection Group (PPG), in His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service under approved delegated authority. In exercising that power, PPG works closely with the Probation Service, in order to put in place a robust risk management plan before a final decision is made to re-release the prisoner.</p><p>The number of recalled offenders released using the Secretary of State’s re-release power for each year between 2017 and 2023 is set out in the table below. Executive re-release was refreshed and relaunched as Risk Assessed Recall Review (RARR) on 30 May 2023. Between 7 September and 31 December 2023, 89 people were released following a RARR.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year of issuing </strong> <strong>the decision</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of releases</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>1,584</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>1,386</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>957</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>725</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>464</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022</p></td><td><p>92</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2023 up to May</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The figures in these tables have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. As such, figures are subject to change as information is updated.</p><p><strong>Data source</strong>: Public Protection Unit Database (PPUD)</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 23203 question first answered 01/05/2024 14:05:34 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1713071

	registered interest
	date	23/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoners' Release
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were released under the Release following Risk Assessed Recall review process between 7 September and 31 December 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
	tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
	uin	23203
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>In the case of recalled standard determinate sentence and extended sentence offenders, the Secretary of State has an executive power to re-release them, if he considers that the statutory release test is met - that is, that it is no longer necessary on the grounds of public protection for the offender to remain confined. Thus, the Secretary of State’s power is exercised with regard to the same test to which the Parole Board has regard.</p><p>The power is exercised by officials in the Public Protection Group (PPG), in His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service under approved delegated authority. In exercising that power, PPG works closely with the Probation Service, in order to put in place a robust risk management plan before a final decision is made to re-release the prisoner.</p><p>The number of recalled offenders released using the Secretary of State’s re-release power for each year between 2017 and 2023 is set out in the table below. Executive re-release was refreshed and relaunched as Risk Assessed Recall Review (RARR) on 30 May 2023. Between 7 September and 31 December 2023, 89 people were released following a RARR.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year of issuing </strong> <strong>the decision</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of releases</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>1,584</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>1,386</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>957</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>725</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>464</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022</p></td><td><p>92</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2023 up to May</p></td><td><p>20</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The figures in these tables have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. As such, figures are subject to change as information is updated.</p><p><strong>Data source</strong>: Public Protection Unit Database (PPUD)</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar grouped question UIN 23202 question first answered 01/05/2024 14:05:34 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury