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 printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label attachment file name title
tabling member	label

Search

1231978

	registered interest
	date	07/09/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what provisions have been made in Her Majesty’s Prisons for visiting rights for prisoners since the introduction of restrictions to address the COVID-19 pandemic; how many (1) visits, and (2) visitors, are permitted for each category of prisoner each week; and what special protective measures have been introduced for (1) visitors, and (2) prisoners, to ensure their protection against COVID-19.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Altmann
	uin	HL7840
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/09/2020 answer text <p>We fully recognise the importance of family contact for those in custody in line with the recommendations of Lord Farmer’s Reviews. This is why following the necessary suspension of prison visits in March, to keep prisoners, their families and staff safe during the pandemic, we introduced a range of measures. We rolled-out more than 1,200 secure mobile PIN phone handsets which are being used to contact family and friends, bolstered support for the Prisoner’s Families Helpline and introduced secure video calls which are currently operating in over 100 prisons across England and Wales, including all female and youth establishments.</p><p>We published arrangements for the recommencement of face-to-face social visits in the National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services, and visits recommenced in early July, in an adapted, Covid-secure manner. Currently most prisons have now commenced physical visits.</p><p>Currently, up to two adults and two children are permitted to visit for a minimum of 45 minutes in prisons where it is safe to do so. Guidance on visits protocols for each prison, including steps we are taking to keep visitors safe, is published on <a href="http://gov.uk/" target="_blank">GOV.UK</a> at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visit-someone-in-prison-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visit-someone-in-prison-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-pandemic</a></p><p>This sets out differences in the adult and youth estates but otherwise this applies for visits to all categories of prisoner. We aim to continue to expand visit arrangements as part of further relaxations to prison regimes, as it is safe to do so, and in line with public health advice.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 15/09/2020 16:27:57 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann

1175330

	registered interest
	date	27/01/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Terrorism: Prisoners' Release
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government (1) how many convicted terrorists have been released from prisons in (a) Great Britain, and (b) Northern Ireland, since 2001; and (2) how many such convicted terrorists in each category have been convicted of further terrorist offences committed after their release.
	tabling member printed	Lord Anderson of Ipswich
	uin	HL782
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/02/2020 answer text <p>1a) Between January 2013 and December 2019, 196 individuals convicted of a terrorist offence (individuals who have been convicted under the Terrorism Act 2000 and 2006) have been released from prison in England and Wales. Prior to 2013, release data on Terrorism Act offenders was held at a local and regional level by relevant law enforcement partners, but not recorded centrally by the Ministry of Justice. Release data for Scotland is not held by the Ministry of Justice as prisons are a devolved matter.</p><p> </p><p>1b) Release data for Northern Ireland is not held by the Ministry of Justice as prisons are a devolved matter.</p><p> </p><p>2) Between January 2013 and December 2019, 6 individuals (3.06%) convicted of a terrorist offence (who have been convicted under the Terrorism Act 2000 and 2006) have been released from prison and have been convicted of a further terrorist offence (under the Terrorism Act 2000 and 2006) in England and Wales. Prior to 2013, release data on Terrorism Act offenders was held at a local and regional level by relevant law enforcement partners, but not recorded centrally by the Ministry of Justice. Recidivism rates for Scotland and Northern Ireland are not held by the Ministry of Justice as prisons are a devolved matter.</p><p> </p><p>All those convicted of an offence under the Terrorism Act who have been released on probation are closely managed by the National Probation Service. HMPPS works closely with law enforcement partners to share information and manage the risks that these offenders present in custody and on probation to reduce the risk of reoffending, and to support them to reintegrate into the community.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 11/02/2020 12:12:19 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4705 label Biography information for Lord Anderson of Ipswich

1175301

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what is the longest wait in days for each Job Centre Plus District for people waiting for an appeal hearing for Personal Independence Payment.
	tabling member printed	Lord Scriven
	uin	HL772
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2020 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 05/02/2020 15:04:00 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4333 label Biography information for Lord Scriven

1230924

	registered interest
	date	02/09/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Keen of Elie on 16 July (HL Deb, col 1746), what additional progress they have made towards implementing the recommendations of the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ramsbotham
	uin	HL7699
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/09/2020 answer text <p>The Department has continued to take steps to implement the recommendations made in this report, as well as others made by independent experts and scrutiny bodies, as part of its robust response to protect prisoners and prison staff from COVID-19.</p><p>Progress has been reflected in the development of Exceptional Delivery Models which cover areas such as social visits, education and time in the open air. This forms an integral part of the National Framework for Prison Regime and Services Recovery which is currently being implemented.</p><p>The recommendations made by the report note the importance of clear communication and ensuring that prisoners feel supported and listened to. The majority of establishments have now resumed social visits which are vital for maintaining family contact and prisoners’ wellbeing. As we move to Stage 2 of the National Framework, prison governors will have more autonomy to shape their regimes in a way that responds to local dynamics and continues to keep staff and prisoners safe from COVID-19.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 16/09/2020 12:45:06 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	3744 label Biography information for Lord Ramsbotham

1228277

	registered interest
	date	29/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Offenders: Females
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they estimate the Female Offender Strategy will be fully implemented.
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Gloucester
	uin	HL7520
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/08/2020 answer text <p>The Female Offender Strategy (2018) set out our vision to see fewer women entering the justice system and reoffending; fewer women in custody, particularly on short custodial sentences, with more managed successfully in the community; and a custodial environment that enables rehabilitation. The strategy launched an ambitious programme of work to improve outcomes for female offenders and make society safer by tackling the underlying causes of offending and reoffending. This will take several years to deliver, with our planned pilot of a residential women’s centre in at least five sites in England and Wales likely to last until the latter part of this decade.</p><p>Some two years on from publication of the Strategy we are making good progress. We have already invested £5.1 million Strategy funding in 30 different women’s services across England and Wales, helping to sustain and enhance existing services, fill gaps in provision, and provide properties for new women’s centres. Other achievements include publication of a new Women’s Policy Framework; roll-out of new training for staff working with women in custody and the community; improvements to the preparation of pre-sentence reports; publication and ongoing implementation of the recommendations in Lord Farmer’s review into family ties for female offenders; undertaken a review of police forces’ responses to our guidance on working with vulnerable women; piloting a new offender management model for women under supervision in the community; commissioning research to inform our policy on BAME female offenders; and publication of our review of the operational policy on Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Units, and Mothers separated from children under the age of 2 in prison.</p><p>On 5 May 2020, we announced the investment of a further £2.5m in women’s community services in England and Wales in 2020/21, supporting them to tackle the root causes of offending and help women to turn their lives around. We also announced that the first site of our residential women’s centre pilot will be located in Wales. This will provide accommodation for vulnerable women with complex needs who would otherwise be sentenced to custody, enabling them to stay closer to home and maintain important family ties, and will directly tackle the issues which often underlie offending, like substance misuse and mental health. We will now work with Welsh Government and partners in Wales to identify a provider and site.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 07/08/2020 12:18:09 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4540 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Gloucester

1175297

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2020
	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	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 20 January (HL111), why the total number of releases, as outlined in the table Accommodation on Release from Custody: National Accommodation Circumstances, England and Wales between April 2017 and March 2019, has dropped from 18,239 in Quarter 1, to 12,544 in Quarter 4, of the 2018/19 financial year.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Corston
	uin	HL737
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/02/2020 answer text <p>Issues have been identified with the data reported in the Accommodation and Employment annexes to the Community Performance Quarterly publication and this will be re-issued at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-performance-quarterly-update-to-june-2019" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-performance-quarterly-update-to-june-2019</a> once these have been resolved.</p><p> </p><p>A corrected version of HL111 will also be provided. We aim to have this issue resolved by the end of the month.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 06/02/2020 16:04:18 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	215 label Biography information for Baroness Corston

1227979

	registered interest
	date	27/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many prison staff have been tested for COVID-19; and (2) how many prisoners in all prisons have been tested for COVID-19.
	tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
	uin	HL7333
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/08/2020 answer text <p>A testing programme is being conducted to help understand the spread of Coronavirus in prisons and how it is transmitted within individual establishments and across the wider estate began on Monday 20 July.</p><p><br>The testing study is taking place across 28 prisons in England and is being carried out in collaboration with the University of Southampton, Public Health England, Department of Health and Social Care and National Audit Office.</p><p><br>Every one of the 20,000 prisoners and 10,000 staff at the 28 sites will be invited to carry out an antigen test, consisting of mouth and nose swabs, to see if they currently have the virus. Participation is completely voluntary but we encourage as many as possible to carry out the test. The test will be repeated two more times with a gap of three weeks between each test.</p><p><br>This testing study follows a pilot of voluntary testing of both staff and prisoners at HMP Littlehey. This consisted of over 1,000 tests being undertaken and pleasingly no positive results were found.</p><p><br>This testing study runs for 9 to 12 weeks to allow all three testing rounds to be completed.</p><p><br>Currently, the establishments which have started undertaking this COVID-19 prevalence Testing Programme are: Bure, Coldingley, Drake Hall, Frankland, Gartree, High Down, Leeds, Lewes, New Hall, Norwich, Send, The Mount, Wandsworth and Wealstun.</p><p><br>As of 5pm 30th July 2020, there have been 2542 prisoner tests with four positive results. There have been 1571 staff tests with three positive results.</p><p>With HMPPS staff being able to self-refer for testing the complete number of staff who have been tested for COVID-19 is unknown by HMPPS. While the total number of tests carried out on prisoners since testing began is also unknown, the Ministry of Justice has started publishing a weekly release of Covid-19 related statistics, which includes confirmed COVID-19 cases in prisoners and children in custody. These statistics provide total numbers across England and Wales.</p><p>The statistics release can be found here each Friday: <br>https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hm-prison-and-probation-service-covid-19-statistics</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 06/08/2020 14:41:26 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

1227978

	registered interest
	date	27/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Crimes of Violence
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many adjudications related to incidences of violence against prison staff there were in each year since 2014; and how many of those incidences resulted in additional days being added to a prisoner's sentence.
	tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
	uin	HL7332
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/08/2020 answer text <p>The prisoner discipline system upholds justice in prisons and ensures incidents of prison rule-breaking have consequences. Only Independent Adjudicators, who are District Judges or Deputy District Judges, can make an award of additional days to a prisoner’s custodial time left to serve.</p><p>Where an act of violence amounts to a criminal offence, prisoners should be investigated by the police and face serious sanctions. The Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 has increased sentencing powers for offences of common assault and battery committed against an emergency worker. This provides Courts with the powers to punish those who commit violent crime against prison staff.</p><p>The information requested can be found in the table attached.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 06/08/2020 14:16:21 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie attachment 1 file name Data for PQ HL7332-FOR PUBLICATION.XLSX title Excel Spreadsheet
	tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

1227976

	registered interest
	date	27/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoners: Veterans
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many armed forces veterans are currently serving a custodial sentence.
	tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
	uin	HL7330
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/08/2020 answer text <p>Since January 2015, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service has actively been recording service in the Armed Forces as part of the screening process for newly received prisoners into custody.</p><p>A breakdown of experimental statistics published in October 2019 indicates that as of 30 June 2019, there were 1,833 prisoners serving a custodial sentence in England and Wales that have declared they have been a member of the armed services.</p><p>The department is due to release the next estimate of the total number of ex-armed services in October 2020 which will include data as of 30 June 2020.</p><p>The Ministry of Justice remains committed to encouraging people in the criminal justice system to declare service in the Armed Forces, as early as possible or at any point whist serving their sentence. This enables them to access the support available, whether that is in custody or the community.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 06/08/2020 14:13:57 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

1227887

	registered interest
	date	23/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Remote Hearings
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service and (2) the judiciary, have evaluated the Video Remand Hearings, Summary and Crown Court trials and Prison to Court Video Links developed by the Video Enabled Justice Programme led by the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner and currently operating in Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey and Sussex; and, if so, whether they have concluded that it is suitable to be rolled out nationally.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wasserman
	uin	HL7251
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/08/2020 answer text <p>The Video Enabled Justice Programme was a Home Office funded initiative and independent of HMCTS and the Judiciary. The Programme was sponsored by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex. Its focus was on video enabled remand hearings and live links for police witnesses. Researchers from the University of Surrey were commissioned by the Police and Crime Commissioner to undertake an evaluation of the Programme.</p><p>The evaluation looked at the new video and digital equipment installed at Medway Magistrates Court and seven custody suites across Kent together with the impact of the digital equipment and the conduct of participants in video enabled and non-video remand hearings.</p><p>The findings were shared with interested parties in the final report published in May 2020. No conclusions were intended to be drawn as to the suitability of scaling the Programme outside of the pilot areas.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 05/08/2020 15:05:56 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4207 label Biography information for Lord Wasserman

1227864

	registered interest
	date	23/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Wandsworth Prison: Video Conferencing
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the pilot at HMP Wandsworth of the video link booking system developed by the Ministry of Justice to allow both prison and court users to book slots with the Video Conference Centre to minimise the need to interact via telephone or emails has been completed; what lessons have been learned from that pilot to date; and what plans they have to publish any such lessons.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wasserman
	uin	HL7250
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/08/2020 answer text <p>The pilot for the book a video link service (BVLS) went live at HMP Wandsworth and all associated courts on 31 March 2020. It has now completed, and we are gathering data and feedback from users in both prisons and courts. This will be shared with partners and stakeholders in due course. Early indications suggest the BVLS has been positively received. Once the feedback exercise has been completed in the autumn, we will consider rolling out the BVLS at further sites.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 05/08/2020 14:32:07 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4207 label Biography information for Lord Wasserman

1175249

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Personal Independence Payment: West Yorkshire
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what is the longest waiting time for Personal Independence Payments tribunals for claimants in West Yorkshire.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Thomas of Winchester
	uin	HL723
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2020 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 05/02/2020 14:32:37 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	3785 label Biography information for Baroness Thomas of Winchester

1175240

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Solicitors: Training
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take to ensure that aspiring solicitors from low-income households have access to the funds necessary to complete the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, alongside any associated preparation or training courses.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL717
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2020 answer text <p>The legal services sector in England and Wales is independent of Government, and as such, the Government does not have a role in setting or approving the framework for admission into the legal profession.</p><p> </p><p>In March 2018, the Legal Services Board (LSB) approved a rule change application made by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). This application laid out a framework upon which the SRA could seek to introduce new requirements for trainee solicitors to pass a centralised Solicitors Qualifying Exam before being admitted into the profession. However, the application only established the framework. The SRA will need to submit another rule change application to LSB in order to implement it.</p><p> </p><p>In its March 2018 decision notice, the LSB set out the substantive issues that it had not been able to fully assess and would need to evaluate before it approved any further application from the SRA seeking to implementing the framework. This included assessing the full costs of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam and accessibility of assessments.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL716 question first answered 05/02/2020 12:55:51 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

1175237

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Solicitors: Training
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the possible impact of the closure of the Professional and Career Development Loans scheme on those from low-income households seeking to qualify as solicitors through the Solicitors Qualifying Exam, due to be introduced in 2021.
	tabling member printed	Lord Storey
	uin	HL716
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2020 answer text <p>The legal services sector in England and Wales is independent of Government, and as such, the Government does not have a role in setting or approving the framework for admission into the legal profession.</p><p> </p><p>In March 2018, the Legal Services Board (LSB) approved a rule change application made by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). This application laid out a framework upon which the SRA could seek to introduce new requirements for trainee solicitors to pass a centralised Solicitors Qualifying Exam before being admitted into the profession. However, the application only established the framework. The SRA will need to submit another rule change application to LSB in order to implement it.</p><p> </p><p>In its March 2018 decision notice, the LSB set out the substantive issues that it had not been able to fully assess and would need to evaluate before it approved any further application from the SRA seeking to implementing the framework. This included assessing the full costs of the Solicitors Qualifying Exam and accessibility of assessments.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL717 question first answered 05/02/2020 12:55:51 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4238 label Biography information for Lord Storey

1227700

	registered interest
	date	22/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Older People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government by how much the prison population of England and Wales would decrease if prisoners (1) over 65 years old, (2) over 70 years old, and (3) over 75 years old, were released.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL7149
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2020 answer text <p>Based on prison population data as at 30 June 2020, the prison population of England and Wales includes (1) 2,660 prisoners over 65 years old, (2) of whom 1,497 prisoners are over 70 years, and (3) 671 prisoners are over 75 years old.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/08/2020 14:49:25 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1227144

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Solicitors: Video Conferencing
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average delay in terms of weeks before solicitors are able to consult their clients in prison via video link.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wasserman
	uin	HL7121
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2020 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/08/2020 14:49:33 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4207 label Biography information for Lord Wasserman

1227143

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Courts: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the present backlog of cases awaiting trial in (1) the Crown Court, and (2) the Magistrates' Court.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wasserman
	uin	HL7120
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2020 answer text <p>The table below provides the information requested on the current number of outstanding cases awaiting trial in (1) the Crown Court, and (2) the Magistrates’ Courts.</p><p> </p><p>These data are taken from the national statistics on the level of outstanding work in the criminal courts for the first quarter of 2020 which were published on 26 June 2020 and are available at the following link: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-court-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-court-statistics</a>. The data for the second quarter will be published in September 2020.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><p>Outstanding cases awaiting trial in the Magistrates’ and Crown Court as at 31 March 2020</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Magistrates’ Court<sup>12</sup></p></td><td><p>77,459</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Crown Court<sup>2</sup></p></td><td><p>31,686</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p><sup>1</sup>The magistrates’ court figure represents all those cases outstanding that are categorised as for trial (Indictable-only and Triable-either-way) and not just those awaiting a trial hearing. For example, it will include cases where defendants plead guilty and not guilty, and those where a warrant has been issued</p><p><sup>2</sup> Though the figures for both Magistrates’ and Crown Court includes for trial cases (Triable-either-way and Indictable Only) which are outstanding for trial we are unable to say at what stage of the court process these are, for example, this may include cases where a trial has started but has not concluded.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/08/2020 14:46:58 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4207 label Biography information for Lord Wasserman

1227145

	registered interest
	date	21/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their announcement on 24 March that 900 secure phone handsets were to be provided to prisons to support family contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, how many minutes prisoners have spent on calls to date (1) in total, and (2) in each prison in which such phones have been allocated.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
	uin	HL7081
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2020 answer text <p>In recognition of the importance of maintaining family ties, since 24 March the Government has rolled out 1297 secure mobile phones across the prison estate in England and Wales. This is in addition to existing wing phones and in-cell telephones. As of the 21 July 2020, 153,918 minutes of calls have taken place from secure mobile PIN phones since 2nd April when this service was deployed.</p><p>We do not routinely record the number of calls that take place over long periods of time, however our most recent data shows that on 21 July, 2803 calls took place across all mobile phones. This equates to 14,783 minutes across the estate. For comparison, 222,889 minutes of calls took place across the non-mobile based PIN network. There has been a 52% increase in calls across pin phone calls from the average call number in February, we do not currently have the equivalent data for just mobile phones.</p><p>We do not record figures for minutes that prisoners have spent on calls by prison across the time period mentioned.. We have access to daily call figures across the entire secure mobile network and also individual prison figures on a given day. We are working with our supplier to identify whether we can report on cumulative figures for individual prisons.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/08/2020 14:50:06 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

1226220

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison and Probation Service: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the budget allocated to the HM Prisons and Probation Service Payment Plus scheme has been spent so far in the current financial year.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
	uin	HL7051
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2020 answer text <p>Payment Plus is funded through Her Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service’s staff pay budget from savings arising from any staff vacancies, which are then re-invested by each prison to fund the Payment Plus (PP) needed to cover operational staff vacancies.</p><p>Prison governors have always had the authority to use PP to allow for additional staff time to cover vacancies. They are given an annual budget for staff costs based on agreed staffing levels and are expected to manage PP within this.</p><p>In the first quarter of this financial year, the total spend on PP was £20.4m, which includes additional overtime cover in response to the impact of COVID-19.</p><p>At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a high risk of increased staff absence and to mitigate this, staff were asked to volunteer for additional PP hours in advance of need. Since the start of the scheme in mid-March, to end June, about 60% of the total extra PP hours volunteers had committed to work were used and the remainder are being used as prisons move into recovery.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL7050 question first answered 04/08/2020 10:33:12 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

1226219

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison and Probation Service: Finance
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total budget allocated to the HM Prisons and Probation Service Payment Plus scheme for the current financial year.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
	uin	HL7050
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2020 answer text <p>Payment Plus is funded through Her Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service’s staff pay budget from savings arising from any staff vacancies, which are then re-invested by each prison to fund the Payment Plus (PP) needed to cover operational staff vacancies.</p><p>Prison governors have always had the authority to use PP to allow for additional staff time to cover vacancies. They are given an annual budget for staff costs based on agreed staffing levels and are expected to manage PP within this.</p><p>In the first quarter of this financial year, the total spend on PP was £20.4m, which includes additional overtime cover in response to the impact of COVID-19.</p><p>At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a high risk of increased staff absence and to mitigate this, staff were asked to volunteer for additional PP hours in advance of need. Since the start of the scheme in mid-March, to end June, about 60% of the total extra PP hours volunteers had committed to work were used and the remainder are being used as prisons move into recovery.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL7051 question first answered 04/08/2020 10:33:12 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

1226218

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison and Probation Service: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the HM Prisons and Probation Service COVID-19 Special Payment Scheme budget has been spent to date by (1) prisons, and (2) probation services.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
	uin	HL7049
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2020 answer text <p>The internal review of the HMPPS Covid-19 Special Payment Scheme is ongoing. When concluded, any changes will be implemented and communicated to staff in the usual way.</p><p>HM Treasury have approved the scheme and we anticipate a budget allocation to be agreed in Autumn 2020 which will cover payments made to date.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL7048 question first answered 29/07/2020 08:39:55 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

1226217

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison and Probation Service: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the outcome of their review of the HM Prisons and Probation Service COVID-19 Special Payment Scheme.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
	uin	HL7048
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2020 answer text <p>The internal review of the HMPPS Covid-19 Special Payment Scheme is ongoing. When concluded, any changes will be implemented and communicated to staff in the usual way.</p><p>HM Treasury have approved the scheme and we anticipate a budget allocation to be agreed in Autumn 2020 which will cover payments made to date.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL7049 question first answered 29/07/2020 08:39:55 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

1226221

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Terrorism: Prison Sentences
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of additional prison sentences likely to be imposed if the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill is passed in its present form; and how many longer sentences are likely to be imposed as a result.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL7042
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2020 answer text <p>We conducted and published an impact analysis for the Counter-Terrorism and Sentencing Bill, which is based on historical volumes of convictions and assumes that trends in sentencing remain stable. The Bill will not increase the overall number of sentences, but will increase sentence lengths for terrorist offenders. We assess that this will result in increased sentence lengths resulting in a maximum of 50 additional offenders in prison at any given time.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/08/2020 09:33:27 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1226206

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Criminal Proceedings: Ethnic Groups
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Keen of Elie on 15 July (HL Deb, cols 1659–61), how the situation of Black and other minority ethnic defendants, including those from Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities, will be taken into account in (1) the membership, and (2) the terms of reference, of the Royal Commission on criminal justice.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
	uin	HL7036
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to a justice system that is fair, open and accessible to all.</p><p>In defining the terms of reference and membership of the Royal Commission, we are taking into account the need for the Commission to understand effectively the experiences of all those that engage with the criminal justice system. This will of course need to include taking account issues of race and the experiences of Black and other minority ethnic people, including those from Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities.</p><p>Further details will be announced in due course.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/08/2020 09:32:15 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1226205

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Marriage
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government in which circumstances marriages in England and Wales are legally recognised by virtue of (1) the building in which the marriage takes place, (2) the registrar or officiant conducting the ceremony, and (3) the religion of the marriage.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
	uin	HL7035
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2020 answer text <p>In general terms, the law requires couples to give due notice of the marriage and to marry in the place specified when they gave notice and in the presence of certain people. Marriages are not automatically valid because they involve a certain building, person or religion: on the contrary, they are capable of legal recognition because they follow a route set out in statute. The statute law also sets out circumstances in which a marriage will be void.</p><p>As part of its review of the law on how and where couples may marry in England and Wales, the Law Commission will make recommendations regarding what the consequences of failing to comply with all or some of the requirements for a valid marriage should be. The Government looks forward to publication of its consultation paper in September.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/08/2020 09:31:24 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1226201

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Marriage
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what reforms to marriage law they are currently working on; whether they plan to bring forward proposals for legal recognition of humanist marriages; and if not, why not.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Blackstone
	uin	HL7031
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/08/2020 answer text <p>The Government announced in June 2019 that the Law Commission will conduct a fundamental review of the law on how and where people can legally marry in England and Wales. As part of that review, the Government invited the Law Commission to make recommendations about how marriage by humanist and other non-religious belief organisations could be incorporated into a revised or new scheme for all marriages that is simple, fair and consistent. The Government looks forward to publication of the Law Commission’s consultation paper in September and, following the final report, will decide on provision on the basis of the Law Commission's recommendations.</p><p>Separately, the Government continues to explore both limited reform and non-legislative options relating to religious weddings, as well as to explore interim reform of the law governing approved premises for marriages and civil partnerships.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/08/2020 09:30:31 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	3561 label Biography information for Baroness Blackstone

1225877

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	HM Prison and Probation Service: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the total budget allocated to HM Prisons and Probation Service as part of the COVID-19 Special Payment Scheme has so far been allocated (1) to prisons, and (2) to probation.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
	uin	HL6928
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2020 answer text <p>A budget has not been yet allocated to HM Prisons and Probation Service for the COVID-19 Special Payment Scheme.</p><p>HMT have approved the scheme and the current costs for the COVID-19 Special Payment Scheme as needed to ensure a safe regime. We anticipate budget cover to be finalised in Autumn 2020, and will cover the full financial year.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL6877 question first answered 28/07/2020 15:19:31 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

1225876

	registered interest
	date	16/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their announcement on 24 March that 900 secure phone handsets were to be provided to prisons to support family contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, how many calls have been placed to date (1) in total, and (2) in each prison that such phones have been allocated to.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
	uin	HL6927
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2020 answer text <p>As of the 14th July 132,266 connections through secure mobile PIN phones have been made. This number includes phone calls to approved telephone numbers, account check balances, failed calls and calls where they were connected to an engaged number and therefore disconnected. This number also excludes those calls made through existing in-cell telephones and secure PIN phones on prison landings.</p><p> </p><p>Secure mobile phones were allocated on a region by region basis with operational decisions made as to where deployment of these phones was most effective. These decisions were made considering:</p><p>- whether in-cell telephones were already in place and so secure mobiles were not needed</p><p>- if the potential site had suitable mobile phone signal. Some sites, due to location and build of prison did not enable effective coverage to support mobile calls.</p><p> </p><p>The following numbers of phones were initially deployed to each region across 65 sites:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire &amp; Lancashire, Cumbria</p></td><td><p>120</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Yorkshire</p></td><td><p>25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tees &amp; Wear</p></td><td><p>25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North Midlands</p></td><td><p>35</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Midlands</p></td><td><p>65</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Midlands</p></td><td><p>70</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Avon &amp; South Dorset</p></td><td><p>40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South Central</p></td><td><p>40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Devon &amp; North Dorset</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk &amp; Hertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk</p></td><td><p>100</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London</p></td><td><p>35</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Kent, Surrey &amp; Sussex</p></td><td><p>55</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Long Term High Security</p></td><td><p>170</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMPPS Wales</p></td><td><p>90</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Although all phone calls are monitored, we do not create reports on the number of calls on a person-by-person basis. Similarly, we do not routinely record how many times an individual makes a phone call. We have since increased the number of secure mobiles to nearly 1300.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL6876 question first answered 28/07/2020 13:46:46 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

1225383

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to end the restrictions in place in prisons to address the COVID-19 pandemic, in particular (1) 23-hour daily cell confinement, and (2) the ban on family visits.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL6885
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2020 answer text <p>As a result of the strong but necessary measures we introduced in prisons, including suspending social visits, lives have been saved and the NHS is being protected from the impact of widespread local outbreaks.</p><p>Some prisons have already started to ease restrictions, including re-starting social visits with appropriate social distancing and hygiene arrangements, and enabling more time out of cell. More prisons will do so over the coming weeks, guided by public health advice and with safety remaining the absolute priority.</p><p>Individual prisons and the youth estate will progress at their own speed, taking full account of their specific local circumstances.</p><p>A temporary video call service to support prisoners maintaining contact with family and friends has also been introduced. This is intended for use whilst contact is limited and we are considering the benefits of maintaining these digital solutions in the longer term, in line with the recommendations of Lord Farmer’s reviews.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 28/07/2020 14:45:22 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1225375

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	HM Prison and Probation Service: Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the total budget allocated to HM Prisons and Probation Service for the COVID-19 Special Payment Scheme.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
	uin	HL6877
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2020 answer text <p>A budget has not been yet allocated to HM Prisons and Probation Service for the COVID-19 Special Payment Scheme.</p><p>HMT have approved the scheme and the current costs for the COVID-19 Special Payment Scheme as needed to ensure a safe regime. We anticipate budget cover to be finalised in Autumn 2020, and will cover the full financial year.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL6928 question first answered 28/07/2020 15:19:31 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

1225374

	registered interest
	date	15/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Mobile Phones
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the announcement on 24 March that 900 secure phone handsets have been provided to prisons to support family contact during the COVID-19 pandemic, how many phones have been (1) allocated to each prison, and (2) used by prisoners to place calls.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
	uin	HL6876
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2020 answer text <p>As of the 14th July 132,266 connections through secure mobile PIN phones have been made. This number includes phone calls to approved telephone numbers, account check balances, failed calls and calls where they were connected to an engaged number and therefore disconnected. This number also excludes those calls made through existing in-cell telephones and secure PIN phones on prison landings.</p><p> </p><p>Secure mobile phones were allocated on a region by region basis with operational decisions made as to where deployment of these phones was most effective. These decisions were made considering:</p><p>- whether in-cell telephones were already in place and so secure mobiles were not needed</p><p>- if the potential site had suitable mobile phone signal. Some sites, due to location and build of prison did not enable effective coverage to support mobile calls.</p><p> </p><p>The following numbers of phones were initially deployed to each region across 65 sites:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire &amp; Lancashire, Cumbria</p></td><td><p>120</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Yorkshire</p></td><td><p>25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Tees &amp; Wear</p></td><td><p>25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>North Midlands</p></td><td><p>35</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>East Midlands</p></td><td><p>65</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>West Midlands</p></td><td><p>70</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Avon &amp; South Dorset</p></td><td><p>40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>South Central</p></td><td><p>40</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Devon &amp; North Dorset</p></td><td><p>30</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk &amp; Hertfordshire, Essex and Suffolk</p></td><td><p>100</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>London</p></td><td><p>35</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Kent, Surrey &amp; Sussex</p></td><td><p>55</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Long Term High Security</p></td><td><p>170</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMPPS Wales</p></td><td><p>90</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Although all phone calls are monitored, we do not create reports on the number of calls on a person-by-person basis. Similarly, we do not routinely record how many times an individual makes a phone call. We have since increased the number of secure mobiles to nearly 1300.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie grouped question UIN HL6927 question first answered 28/07/2020 13:46:46 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

1224746

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Children in Care
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of court proceedings concerning children in care being put up for adoption have been adjourned or otherwise delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
	tabling member printed	Lord Watson of Invergowrie
	uin	HL6872
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2020 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Courts &amp; Tribunals Service has agreed a set of business priorities with the judiciary for the family courts and are clear that all urgent family proceedings must be dealt with during the COVID-19 outbreak.</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/881017/Ops_update_-_family_court_business_priorities_24_April_2020_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/881017/Ops_update_-_family_court_business_priorities_24_April_2020_FINAL.pdf</a></p><p>The Family Court Statistics Quarterly report on average timeliness for care and supervision proceedings however there is no separate data for proceedings in which the care plan is adoption. The latest available data is for the quarter to March 2020.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 28/07/2020 13:44:32 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	1241 label Biography information for Lord Watson of Invergowrie

1224128

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Staff
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to launch (1) a whistleblowing hotline for prison staff, and (2) a campaign for such staff to raise awareness of their rights.
	tabling member printed	Lord Ramsbotham
	uin	HL6791
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>We recognise the importance of the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of employees is paramount; particularly during these difficult times. Whistleblowing procedures are already in place for staff who wish to raise any concerns, including a Reporting Wrongdoing Integrity Hotline. This allows HM Prison and Probation staff to raise any concerns they may have. Relevant guidance for employees and managers is available through the intranet and the ‘My Hub’ service. HMPPS is currently reviewing and updating its whistleblowing policy, which we aim to publish later this year, following consultation with the trade unions.</p><p>We are also taking action to address unacceptable behaviours within HMPPS. In the coming months and will be putting in place a dedicated Unit to support our objective of reducing discrimination, bullying and harassment. This will include a phone line to provide advice and guidance.</p><p>Staff have access to a range of easily accessible services should they have concerns about the workplace or their own well-being. We constantly monitor these services to ensure they meet the needs of staff with such concerns.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 20/07/2020 16:28:14 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	3744 label Biography information for Lord Ramsbotham

1224169

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Solicitors: Disciplinary Proceedings
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which solicitors were (1) fined, (2) struck off, and (3) received other disciplinary action from the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal, for charging coalminers out of the compensation scheme for (a) vibration white finger, and (b) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. [T]
	tabling member printed	Lord Mann
	uin	HL6785
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government does not hold the information requested. The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal is an independent Tribunal established under the Solicitors Act 1974.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 20/07/2020 10:54:47 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

1224158

	registered interest
	date	13/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Coronavirus
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 30 June (HL5740), what comparative estimate they have made of the number of COVID-19 (1) cases, and (2) deaths, of (a) prisoners, and (b) the general population, in England and Wales.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL6755
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/07/2020 answer text <p>We do not hold the comparative data requested. However, on 24 April, we published Public Health England modelling which assessed the impact of the population management measures prisons have implemented in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and provided updated reasonable worst-case scenario estimates. This modelling suggested that the measures we have implemented have had a positive impact on limiting the transmission of the virus in prisons and minimising the number of deaths. The modelling can be found on gov.uk.</p><p>The Ministry of Justice releases a weekly publication of Covid-19 statistics, including prisoner Covid-19 cases and deaths. The publication can be found on gov.uk and is updated every Friday.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 27/07/2020 14:57:55 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1222177

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Forced Marriage
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to bring forward measures to safeguard against predatory marriages, particularly those involving older people.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
	uin	HL6614
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2020 answer text <p>A registration official has a duty to stop proceedings if they are of opinion that either of the parties to a marriage does not have the capacity to marry. The Government has no current legislative plans to change the existing safeguards.</p><p>The Law Commission is currently reviewing how and where weddings take place, including the formalities and safeguarding checks required before a marriage is conducted. The Government looks forward to publication of the Law Commission’s consultation paper in September.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 14/07/2020 11:40:21 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4282 label Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth

1222167

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Security
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisons are currently using the Security Categorisation Policy Framework; and when they expect all prisons in England and Wales to be using this framework.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle
	uin	HL6604
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2020 answer text <p>Nine establishments are using the Security Categorisation Policy Framework, all of which were involved in the live pilot of the revised procedures and use of the Digital Categorisation Service. Implementation of the framework across the adult male and young adult male estates was due to have begun in March but paused due to Covid-19. It is currently expected that implementation will start in the autumn with all male establishments using the framework by spring 2021. There are no immediate plans for implementation in the women’s estate.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 22/07/2020 13:32:23 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4719 label Biography information for Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle

1221702

	registered interest
	date	07/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Older People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to extend the End of Custody Temporary Release scheme in prisons in England and Wales, in particular to allow for the release of elderly prisoners.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL6559
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>On 4 April, the government announced the End of Custody Temporary Release scheme (ECTR). This scheme enables risk-assessed prisoners, who are within two months of their release date, to be temporarily released from custody, as part of the national approach to managing public services during the pandemic. The government does not plan to extend the scheme.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 20/07/2020 12:26:00 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1220866

	registered interest
	date	06/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Criminal Proceedings: Travellers
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in rectifying the absence of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers from official monitoring systems across the criminal justice system since the publication of the Lammy Review.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
	uin	HL6545
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2020 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice is committed to improving collection and publication of data to identify and tackle any disparities in the Criminal Justice System.</p><p>In England and Wales, there are 18 ethnic groups recommended for use by government when asking for someone’s ethnicity. It is recognised that these ethnic groups do not represent how all people identify. People are encouraged to write in their ethnicity using their own words if they do not identify with any groups in the list.</p><p>Criminal justice organisations of England and Wales have adopted a revised Self-Defined 18+1 data standard to deliver greater precision when recording the defendant’s ethnicity status. This 18+1 standard added the option of “Gypsy or Irish Traveller”, however it does not include “Roma” and relies on self-identification by a defendant, who may choose to withhold this information.</p><p>Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) integrated the capability to collect data using the 18+1 standard into its systems from June 2018.</p><p>The Youth Justice Board (YJB) have also now extended the ethnic categorisation within the Youth Offending Team Case Management System to the 18+1 standard, meaning that “Gypsy or Irish Traveller” is now recorded as a separate ethnic group in addition to the other 18 ethnic groups recorded. This will enable the YJB to explore and better understand the experience throughout the Youth Justice System for GRT individuals and identify areas for potential work.</p><p>W3 (White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller) ethnicity has been available in nDelius, the probation service’s case management system, since its inception in 2013 following the “Gypsy or Irish Traveller” ethnicity option being included in the 2011 Census.</p><p>The Ministry of Justice has produced guidance for all criminal justice staff on working with GRT communities. This covers the importance of recording ethnicity and how to overcome the issues of low recording.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 14/07/2020 11:29:25 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1219446

	registered interest
	date	30/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Community Orders
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 29 June (HL Deb, col 464), when they expect to publish their White Paper on community justice and sentencing.
	tabling member printed	Lord German
	uin	HL6303
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2020 answer text <p>We intend to publish a Sentencing White Paper this year ahead of legislating next year.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 09/07/2020 16:40:34 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4163 label Biography information for Lord German

1218123

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Women's Centres
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government which Women’s Centres for women who have offended, or who are at risk of offending, are currently functioning; where those centres are located; who provides funds to those centres; and what assessment they have made of the success of such centres in preventing (1) offending, and (2) re-offending.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL6166
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government recognises the important role played by women’s centres regarding women in contact with or at risk of coming into contact with the criminal justice system. These holistic services work to support women to address the often complex needs that underlie their offending behaviour.</p><p>Women’s centres are spread across England and Wales and receive funding from different sources. Following the publication of the Female Offender Strategy, the Government invested £5.1 million over two years in women’s community sector organisations, including women’s centres. Thirty different organisations across England and Wales received funding, which included the creation of six new women’s centres. On 5 May, the Government announced further funding of £2.5 million for the sector.</p><p>However, the detailed information requested about the number of women’s centres that are currently functioning and how they are funded is not held or collected centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 09/07/2020 16:31:46 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1175162

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoners' Transfers: Northern Ireland
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government how many offenders were transferred from prisons in England and Wales to prisons in Northern Ireland in each of the last two years.
	tabling member printed	Lord Browne of Belmont
	uin	HL614
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2020 answer text <p>Seven offenders were transferred from prisons in England and Wales to prisons in Northern Ireland in 2018 and eight where transferred in 2019.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/02/2020 16:47:33 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	3801 label Biography information for Lord Browne of Belmont

1175173

	registered interest
	date	21/01/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Civil Proceedings
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the law currently in place to resolve cross border disputes in family law matters and the resolution of cross border disputes between customers in the UK and suppliers in other EU countries remains in place after the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bowness
	uin	HL607
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2020 answer text <p>Existing EU instruments in the area of civil judicial cooperation (including cross-border disputes in family and consumer matters) will continue to have effect between the UK and EU member states during the Implementation Period. The position after 11pm on 31 December 2020 will depend on the outcome of negotiations undertaken with the EU during the Implementation Period.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 04/02/2020 16:47:23 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	3496 label Biography information for Lord Bowness

1217188

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Large Goods Vehicles: Road Traffic Offences
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 16 June (HL4922), what plans they have to enable the submission of photographic evidence by (1) local authorities, and (2) local action groups, of any abuse of weight restriction orders.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradshaw
	uin	HL6049
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2020 answer text <p>Cases on Weight Restriction Orders are heard in the Magistrates Courts. Prosecutors are entitled to submit photographic evidence to the court, provided it is relevant and its source can be proved. This is in accordance with existing rules of evidence of long standing. It is a matter for the individual prosecutors (whether police forces or local authorities) whether they choose to call witnesses to present photographic evidence to a court of trial.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 06/07/2020 16:07:44 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	2483 label Biography information for Lord Bradshaw

1217187

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Administration of Justice: Equality
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they intend to take to implement the recommendations of the report by the Equality and Human Rights Commissions Inclusive Justice: a system designed for all, published on 22 April.
	tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
	uin	HL6048
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2020 answer text <p>The government welcomes the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s report, Inclusive Justice, the interim findings of which were published on 22 April, and the full report on 11 June 2020. The recommendations made in the report are being carefully considered.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 07/07/2020 15:00:49 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

1216497

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Repossession Orders
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many possession orders had been made by the courts following a claim by (1) private, and (2) social landlords, and were outstanding prior to eviction proceedings being suspended from 27 March.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Altmann
	uin	HL5964
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2020 answer text <p>The requested information is not held by HMCTS.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 06/07/2020 15:08:46 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann

1216496

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Repossession Orders
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that courts deal more speedily with landlord and tenant cases concerning anti-social behaviour and domestic violence, once possession cases related to rented housing recommence.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Altmann
	uin	HL5963
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2020 answer text The listing of court cases, including possession, is a judicial function. The Master of Rolls has set up a judiciary-led cross-sector working group to consider and address matters affecting litigants to inform arrangements that will be in place when the current stay on possession is lifted. The work of this group will consider the needs of all users involved in the possession process. answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 06/07/2020 15:08:37 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	4533 label Biography information for Baroness Altmann

1205033

	registered interest
	date	17/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Sexual Offences: Transgender People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many cases of (1) rape or attempted rape, and (2) sexual misconduct, by individuals whose sex at birth was male but subsequently identified as female have been reported in (a) women's prisons, and (b) women-only spaces outside of prisons such as changing rooms; and how many of those reports led to prosecutions.
	tabling member printed	Lord Pearson of Rannoch
	uin	HL5875
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2020 answer text <p>There is no reported incident of rape or attempted rape by prisoners who have reported they are declared male on their birth certificate who self-identify as a female in the women’s estate.</p><p>Between 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2019, there were 97 sexual assaults in the women’s estate overall and 7 of these assaults involved a transgender prisoner. Out of those 7 incidents, there were 6 sexual assaults where a transgender prisoner was recorded as the assailant or suspected assailant. In one incident the transgender prisoner was recorded as having ‘active involvement’, which means they did not necessarily start the assault. It is not possible from the records available to confirm whether these transgender prisoners were born male and subsequently identify as female. Other groups of prisoners may also be included, including those born female who identify as male, or who identify as non-binary.</p><p>We do not hold data for reported assaults that have taken place outside of prison.</p><p>Strict safeguards are in place to care for and manage transgender individuals in custody while protecting our staff and other service users.</p><p>Details of transgender prisoners were provided by public and private prisons in England and Wales, between 26 March 2019 and 24 April 2019 following an exercise to gather information from transgender individuals in custody. The figures give an estimate of the number of transgender prisoners based on that exercise and may underestimate the true number. Prisoners who have a full Gender Recognition Certificate are excluded from this dataset.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 01/07/2020 15:51:55 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	3153 label Biography information for Lord Pearson of Rannoch

1204209

	registered interest
	date	16/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Barristers: Young People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what steps they taking, if any, to support young barristers.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL5811
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The legal profession in England and Wales is independent of government, and barristers are regulated by the Bar Council through the Bar Standards Board. The Government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) covers most people who receive most of their income from self-employment, and young barristers who are eligible can benefit from this scheme. For young barristers who are criminal legal aid practitioners, we have provided greater access to hardship payments from the Legal Aid Agency to allow practitioners to claim one month after they were first instructed instead of six, and to lower the threshold for work done on a case from £5,000 to £450.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 30/06/2020 14:34:18 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick

1204208

	registered interest
	date	16/06/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Barristers: Self-employed
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the research by the Bar Council published on 27 April that without further support 74 per cent of self-employed barristers will be unable to continue to practice.
	tabling member printed	Lord Taylor of Warwick
	uin	HL5810
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The Government is continuing to engage with the Bar Council to understand the concerns and what support we can provide. The Government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) covers most people who receive most of their income from self-employment. In addition, for criminal legal aid practitioners, we have provided greater access to hardship payments from the Legal Aid Agency to allow practitioners to claim one month after they were first instructed instead of six, and to lower the threshold for work done on a case from £5,000 to £450. We also note that the four Inns of Court have created a package of measures to assist junior barristers and that an emergency fund by the Barristers’ Benevolent Association and hardship funds from the inns are being introduced. We continue to keep the situation under review in the light of developing recovery plans.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 30/06/2020 14:32:51 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
	tabling member	1796 label Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick