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1715175

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

1715222

registered interest
date	01/05/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Officers: Body Searches
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of prison officers who are searched upon entry to prison by an x-ray body scanner.
tabling member constituency	Preseli Pembrokeshire
tabling member printed	Stephen Crabb
uin	24432
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2024 answer text <p>HM Prison and Probation Service does not currently have legal permission to use X-ray body scanners on staff working in prisons. As such, no prison officers are searched by an X-ray body scanner upon entry to prison.</p><p>All persons may be searched on entry to or within prisons, including prison staff. Arrangements for staff searching are set out in a prisons Local Security Strategy.</p><p>The vast majority of staff are hardworking and dedicated. A minority of staff engage in corrupt activity which is often as a result of conditioning and manipulation by prisoners.</p><p>Through the Government’s £100 million Security Investment Programme (SIP) we have bolstered prison security, such as physical measures to stop illicit items from entering prisons. These include extending X-ray body scanners to all closed male prisons, and installing Enhanced Gate Security at 42 high risk sites with archway metal detectors and the regular use of sniffer dogs. We have also since installed X-ray baggage scanners at 49 establishments. Additionally, through SIP investment, we have introduced mobile phone blocking and detection capabilities. We have also expanded HMPPS’ Counter Corruption Unit to effectively support the resilience of our hardworking prison officers to coercion by criminals. Furthermore, we have enhanced our partnership working through the development of a Multi-Agency Response to Serious Organised Crime.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 10/05/2024 08:59:18 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	1554 label Biography information for Stephen Crabb

1715310

registered interest
date	01/05/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Fires
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison cell fires there were, broken down by institution, in each year since 2015.
tabling member constituency	Mitcham and Morden
tabling member printed	Dame Siobhain McDonagh
uin	24357
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2024 answer text <p>The attached table shows the number of fire incidents in each prison in each year since 2016. Information about fire incidents before 2016 is not available, because the records, which were held locally, have been destroyed in line with our retention policy. In 2016, a new centralised national system for recording fire incidents was introduced across the prison estate.</p><p>The overwhelming majority of the cell fires in prisons are classified as small and are quickly dealt with by staff. All prisons have an Arson Reduction Strategy which includes measures for managing prisoners who are known to present a risk of fire setting: these measures include strategic cell location, and control of access to ignition sources and combustible materials. In 2024-25, H M Prison &amp; Probation Service will introduce an ignition-free Safer Vape Pen to replace the existing product, which is the source of approximately 80 per cent of fires set.</p><p>All operational staff receive training in responding to fire incidents, including the use of specialist safety and firefighting equipment. Where it is found that a fire is the result of arson, or recklessness, the prisoner responsible will face robust punitive action, which can include further criminal charges.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 10/05/2024 08:46:05 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar attachment 1 file name 2024-05-13 PQ 24357 table.docx title PQ_24357_table
tabling member	193 label Biography information for Dame Siobhain McDonagh

1715321

registered interest
date	01/05/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Community Orders
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have taken part in his Department's Intensive Supervision Courts pilot.
tabling member constituency	Mitcham and Morden
tabling member printed	Dame Siobhain McDonagh
uin	24368
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2024 answer text <p>In June 2023, we launched three Intensive Supervision Courts to divert offenders away from short custodial sentences and tackle the root causes of their offending, two at Liverpool and Teesside Crown Courts for offenders with substance misuse needs, and one focused on female offenders at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court. As of March 2024, 84 offenders have engaged with the Intensive Supervision Court pilot. These pilot sites are legislated to sentence for 18 months and are subject to a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation programme.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 10/05/2024 08:47:04 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	193 label Biography information for Dame Siobhain McDonagh

1715328

registered interest
date	01/05/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Reoffenders: Community Orders
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders who received a community sentence in each of the last five years had previously received (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four, (e) five or more community sentences.
tabling member constituency	Mitcham and Morden
tabling member printed	Dame Siobhain McDonagh
uin	24375
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2024 answer text <p>In many cases – particularly for lower-level offending – there is persuasive evidence that sentences served in the community, are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending and rehabilitation in certain circumstances.</p><p>The Department’s statistics show that 55% of those released from prison after serving a custodial sentence of less than twelve months were convicted for a proven offence in the following 12 months. This compares to 32% of those serving a sentence in the community (community order or suspended sentence order): <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics" target="_blank">Proven reoffending statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>.</p><p>The information requested is provided in the table attached. The information supplied has been sourced from a retrieval from the Police National Computer database.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 10/05/2024 08:51:23 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar attachment 1 file name 2024-05-13 PQ 24375 table.xlsx title PQ_24375_table
tabling member	193 label Biography information for Dame Siobhain McDonagh

1715329

registered interest
date	01/05/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Reoffenders: Community Orders
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many offenders breached the terms of their community order in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Mitcham and Morden
tabling member printed	Dame Siobhain McDonagh
uin	24376
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2024 answer text <p>We are investing £155 million in funding each year into the Service and recruited over 4000 new probation officers since reunification of the Probation Service in 2021 to deliver better and more consistent supervision of offenders in the community.</p><p>Delivering public protection and cutting crime is not just about custody. There is persuasive evidence that suspended and community sentences are more effective than short custodial sentences in reducing reoffending and promoting rehabilitation. These sentences can include a range of robust requirements to punish the offender, protect the public and deliver rehabilitation. Electronic monitoring of curfews, exclusion zones, attendance at appointments, location monitoring and alcohol bans are all available requirements which the courts can use. To make sure that offenders are visibly and publicly making reparations for their crimes, courts can impose up to 300 hours of unpaid work.</p><p>Any breach of these requirements could see them returned to court and face immediate custody.</p><p>Please note that where there is a significant risk of harm to an individual or where the offender has breached an order of the court, the courts will retain full discretion to impose a sentence of immediate custody.</p><p>Please see attachment for the information requested.</p><p><strong>Data sources and quality</strong></p><p>The figures in this table have been drawn from the Delius case management system which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.</p><p><strong>Source</strong>: Offender Mangement Statistics Quarterly Bulletin: October to December 2023</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 10/05/2024 08:56:17 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar attachment 1 file name 2024-05-13 PQ 24376 table.xlsx title PQ_24376_table
tabling member	193 label Biography information for Dame Siobhain McDonagh

1715019

registered interest
date	30/04/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Young Offender Institutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of hours spent out of their cell by inmates was on (a) weekdays and (b) weekend days in each young offender institution in March 2024.
tabling member constituency	Lewisham East
tabling member printed	Janet Daby
uin	24323
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>The information requested regarding average time-out-of-room spent by children and young people in young offender institutions during March 2024 is shown in the table below.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Cookham Wood</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Feltham</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Parc</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Werrington</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Wetherby</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Weekdays</strong></p></td><td><p>3:39</p></td><td><p>4:54</p></td><td><p>8:48</p></td><td><p>4:29</p></td><td><p>5:36</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Weekends</strong></p></td><td><p>2:39</p></td><td><p>4:20</p></td><td><p>6:22</p></td><td><p>3:06</p></td><td><p>3:50</p></td></tr></tbody></table></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We know the importance of ensuring that time in custody is purposeful and are committed to ensuring that children and young people have the necessary and appropriate access to education, skills, and work provision with a consistent daily programme of activities.</p><p>The Youth Custody Service is reviewing regime models and staff deployment to maximise time out of room, creating as open a regime as it is safe to do so, as well as providing education and enrichment for those who cannot safely be in a classroom setting.  Additionally, work done to reduce conflict and manage behaviour, to increase the size of groups who are mixing in the regime, has increased time out of room.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 07/05/2024 14:12:56 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4698 label Biography information for Janet Daby

1714732

registered interest
date	29/04/2024
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of community service.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
uin	24133
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2024 answer text <p>There is persuasive evidence indicating that community sentences in general can be more effective for reducing reoffending than custodial sentences. The Department’s latest published reoffending statistics (<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics" target="_blank">Proven reoffending statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>) show that 55% of those released from prison after serving a custodial sentence of less than twelve months were convicted for a proven offence in the following 12 months. This compares to 32% of those serving a court order (community sentence or suspended sentence order) or 24% of those serving a suspended sentence with requirements served in the community.</p><p>Community Payback completed over 4.7 million hours in 2023 undertaking work to improve communities, the environment and supporting charities. In 2023, Rapid Deployment pilots tackling anti-social behaviour hot spots has seen 8,809 hours of community payback completed and 509 different people involved and given its success this initiative is being rolled out to areas in all Probation regions.</p><p>A process evaluation by the Ministry of Justice of Unpaid Work commenced in 2022 to assess what works in the delivery of Unpaid Work. An impact and economic evaluation comparing the effectiveness of Unpaid Work to other punitive sentences in reducing reoffending will report in March 2025.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 09/05/2024 13:25:26 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1714760

registered interest
date	29/04/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Restraint Techniques: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will end the use on children of (a) the inverted wrist hold and (b) other pain-inducing restraints.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	24034
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>The syllabus for training staff in under-18 young offender institutions and the secure training centre in Managing and Minimising Physical Restraint (MMPR) focuses exclusively on behaviour management and restraint.</p><p>It is essential that staff are trained for every aspect of their role, including in techniques they may need to use to prevent serious physical harm to a child or adult. Staff will continue to be trained in the safe use of pain-inducing techniques, as part of a separate package of interventions for use only in situations where that is the only means of preventing serious physical harm.</p><p>Any response must be necessary, reasonable, and proportionate in view of the risk of harm which is present. All instances where a pain-inducing technique is used are subject to detailed scrutiny by on site MMPR Coordinators, as well as by members of the Independent Restraint Review Panel.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 02/05/2024 08:37:06 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1714166

registered interest
date	26/04/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Drugs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of trends in the level of (a) drug use and (b) synthetic drug use in prisons.
tabling member constituency	York Central
tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
uin	23903
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2024 answer text <p>The latest information on random mandatory drug testing in prisons can be found in the HMPPS Annual Digest here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hmpps-annual-digest-april-2022-to-march-2023" target="_blank">HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2022 to March 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>.</p><p>All prisons have a zero-tolerance approach to drugs, and we are highly aware of the threat synthetic substances present. In response, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) continue to develop capabilities to drug test prisoners who are suspected to have used, or are at risk of using, these dangerous substances. In addition, all prisons have been provided with access to forensic testing of items seized or found within the estate.</p><p>Our £100 million Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including reducing the conveyance of illicit items such as drugs, was completed in March 2022. This investment delivered 75 additional X-ray body scanners resulting in full coverage across the closed adult male estate. Under this programme, all public sector sites have also been provided with next-generation drug trace detection machines. This technology enables prisons to detect attempts to convey drugs into prisons. The equipment is effective in identifying drugs that have been soaked onto letters, clothing and other items.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 08/05/2024 14:04:58 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell