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1170414

	registered interest
	date	13/01/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Disasters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to establish an independent public advocate.
	tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
	tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
	uin	2529
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2020 answer text <p>The Government is committed to supporting bereaved families after public disasters and during public inquests.</p><p>We have consulted on proposals to establish an independent public advocate and will publish a response in due course.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 16/01/2020 13:54:55 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
	tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1379100

	registered interest
	date	16/11/2021
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison Officers: Females
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what representations he has received on the suitability and safety of women prison officers carrying out their duties between the ages of 60 and 68.
	tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
	tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
	uin	75877
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2021 answer text <p>Prison officers need to be capable of performing specific tasks to a certain standard to ensure their safety and the safety of everyone else, including prisoners and work colleagues.</p><p> </p><p>All prison officers who joined after 1 April 2001 must pass an annual fitness test in order to remain in a prison officer role. Staff who do not meet the annual fitness test standard will be provided with advice and support by a fitness assessor on achieving and maintaining the required fitness level. Following an Occupational Health (OH) referral, management can discuss and consider options for redeployment to roles that don’t require the Prison Officer fitness level.</p><p> </p><p>There are many factors which determine a person’s ability to pass a fitness test which are often not determined by age, sex or gender alone. No adjustment to the fitness test is made based on age, sex or gender because they are not the determining factor on passing the test and fitness levels between employees of either sex or gender at all ages can vary. Adjustments are considered and may be offered on the advice of an occupational health practitioner.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 19/11/2021 14:47:38 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

63948

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Drake Hall Prison
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many hours per week prisoners in HM Prison Drake Hall spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the last date for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
	tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
	uin	202315
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2014 answer text <p>Up until the end of 2011-2012, information was collected on the average hours during each weekday when prisoners cells were unlocked. By subtracting the average hours unlocked from the 24 hours in a day, it is possible to estimate hours spent locked in cell.</p><p> </p><p>Figures for each prison establishment for the three years from 2009-2010 to 2011-2012 have been placed in the library of the House.Figures 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.</p><p> </p><p>It should be noted that time in cell includes hours when prisoners are asleep. Time unlocked includes time where a prisoner is either out of their cell or where the cell door is unlocked allowing them to move freely in and out of the cell.</p><p> </p><p>Time unlocked was discontinued as a performance indicator for prisons at the end of 2011-2012 because it was not used in the day to day management of prisons and NOMS had concerns over the burden on the frontline of collecting the data. Figures for time in cell for the years 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 could therefore only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Indicators introduced into prison service learning agreements in respect of rehabilitation, resettlement and work in prisons provide a better demonstration of efforts to prepare prisoners for release and reduce reoffending.</p><p> </p><p>Work in prisons is a key priority to make sure that prisoners are engaged purposefully while they are in custody. It also gives them the opportunity to learn skills and a work ethic which can increase their chances of finding employment on release which is a key element to reducing reoffending.</p><p> </p><p>The number of prisoners working in industrial activity across public sector prisons increased from around 8,600 in 2010-2011 (the first year for which figures are available) to around 9,700 in 2012-13. This delivered an increase in the total hours worked in industrial activities from 10.6 million hours to 13.1 million hours. Private sector prisons have also been supporting this agenda in 2012-2013, which is the first year when they were required to supply figures, private sector prisons reported that they delivered over 1.5 million prisoner working hours in commercial and industrial workshops which provided work for over 1,200 prisoners. In addition there are substantial numbers of prisoners who work to keep prisons running by performing tasks such as cooking, serving meals, maintenance and cleaning.</p><p> </p><p>Figures for public sector prisons are published in the NOMS Annual Report Management Information Addendum: <a title="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>The establishment-level breakdown of weekly hours worked is not available centrally for 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Information on the proportion of prisoners classed as unemployed is not available centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Our reforms to the Incentives and Earned Privileges national policy framework came into effect in adult prisons on 1 November 2013. Prisoners will be expected to engage in purposeful activity, as well as demonstrate a commitment towards their rehabilitation, reduce their risk of reoffending, behave well and help others if they are to earn privileges.</p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes question first answered 01/07/2014 16:36:45 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

1088508

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Probation: Private Sector
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral contribution of the Minister of State for Justice of 4 March 2019, Official Report, column 698 on the Privatised Probation System, when he plans to meet with the hon. Member for Sefton and the family of Sam Cook.
	tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
	tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
	uin	232002
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2019 answer text <p>My private office has contacted the hon. Member’s office and will arrange a meeting in due course.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 18/03/2019 16:05:31 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
	tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

43444

	registered interest
	date	17/03/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time between judgement and sentencing in criminal trials in England was in the latest period for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the trends in the time taken.
	tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
	tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
	uin	192266
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2014 answer text <p>HMCTS can only answer this question for trials in the Crown Court. The case management database for magistrates' courts does not hold the date of conviction in a way we can calculate the time from conviction to sentence for all defendants so the only way we could answer the question would be to manually check each case file which would incur disproportionate costs.</p><p>The Crown Court database does and Table 1 below shows the average length between the latest conviction date in a trial and the date of sentence. The trend has seen the time between conviction and sentence falling from an average of 35.8 calendar days in 2007-08 to 24.6 calendar days in the first half of 2013-14. When a trial has more than one offence the jury may not reach verdicts against all on the same day, and the sentence cannot take place until all offences have a verdict.</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2"><p>Table 1 -Average length between conviction and sentence in Crown Court centres in England for defendants sentenced between April and September 2013</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Period</p></td><td><p>Average</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April to September 2013</p></td><td><p>24.6 calendar days</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>28.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>28.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>30.2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009-10</p></td><td><p>32.8</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008-09</p></td><td><p>34.4</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2007-08</p></td><td><p>35.8</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Notes:</p><ol type="1"><li>The average number of calendar days between the latest jury conviction date and the earliest substantial sentence date.</li><li>Includes cases where the defendant changes their plea to guilty during the trial.</li><li>This is internal management information run specifically to answer this question.</li></ol><p> </p><p>The judiciary are able to sentence following conviction without the need for additional hearings as a result of initiatives currently in place. The judicially lead early guilty plea scheme aims to have guilty plea cases concluded at a single hearing. Similarly the probation service are able to provide reports on the day of conviction to facilitate the sentencing of the defendant.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 01/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

782847

	registered interest
	date	02/11/2017
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Legal Profession
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to support the UK legal services sector before and after the UK leaves the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
	tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
	uin	111142
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2017 answer text <p>The UK is a world leader in the provision of legal services and English law has a reputation for excellence across the world. The reputation of the UK’s Courts, Judiciary and legal services sector will continue after we leave the EU, and we will build on this to make the most of the opportunities of post-Brexit global Britain. We also continue to promote our excellent legal services overseas, and launched our ‘Legal Services are GREAT’ campaign last month, to highlight the UK’s position as a premier legal centre.”</p> answering member constituency East Surrey answering member printed Mr Sam Gyimah question first answered 10/11/2017 14:48:45 answering member 3980 label Biography information for Mr Sam Gyimah
	tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

176542

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Employment Agencies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff in his Department have been employed through employment or recruitment agencies in each year since 2010-11.
	tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
	tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
	uin	222522
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice does not hold a central record of staff employed through Recruitment agencies.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 04/02/2015 16:57:00 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

424983

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	James Thompson
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make representations to the Criminal Cases Review Commission on reviewing the case of James Thompson.
	tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
	tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
	uin	14066
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2015 answer text <p>The Criminal Cases Review Commission is independent, and it would not be appropriate for Ministers or officials to intervene in individual cases.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 03/11/2015 17:05:53 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

428710

	registered interest
	date	17/11/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Criminal Cases Review Commission
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2015 to Question 14066, what accountability mechanisms are in place for the Criminal Cases Review Commission; and if he will meet the hon. Member for Sefton Central to discuss the case of James Thompson.
	tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
	tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
	uin	16560
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2015 answer text <p>As I stated in response to Question 14066, although the Criminal Cases Review Commission is funded by my Department, it is entirely independent of Government, and Ministers cannot, and should not, intervene in its reviews or decisions. Since there is no action I can take, I do not believe a meeting with the Hon. Member would be helpful.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 20/11/2015 10:55:42 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson

432026

	registered interest
	date	24/11/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	James Thompson
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make representations to the Criminal Cases Review Commission to open an investigation into the case of James Thompson.
	tabling member constituency	Sefton Central
	tabling member printed	Bill Esterson
	uin	17450
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2015 answer text <p>As I stated in response to Questions 14066 and 16560, although the Criminal Cases Review Commission is funded by my Department, it is entirely independent of Government, and Ministers cannot, and should not, attempt to intervene in its reviews or decisions.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 30/11/2015 13:16:03 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	4061 label Biography information for Bill Esterson