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1456353

registered interest
date	31/03/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Parole: Reform
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the criteria his Department uses to decide on the appropriateness of releasing an offender from prison as part of its reforms to the parole process; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Steve Reed
uin	151123
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2022 answer text <p>The Government’s Root and Branch Review of the Parole System, published on 30 March, includes a proposal to expand the statutory release test to make it clear that public protection is the overriding consideration. Under the proposed reforms, the same statutory test will apply whether it is the Parole Board assessing the appropriateness of release or the Secretary of State exercising the proposed powers to oversee the decisions in top-tier cases. It is our intention to set out as part of the release test, on the face of the legislation, a list of statutory criteria to make it clear the factors that must be taken into account. That proposed list of criteria was published in the Root and Branch Review.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 19/04/2022 10:55:36 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1455942

registered interest
date	30/03/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Parole
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many parole board releases for offenders convicted of (a) rape, (b) murder and (c) terror-related offences did the Secretary of State for Justice ask the parole board to reconsider in each year since 2016.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Steve Reed
uin	150175
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2022 answer text <p>The reconsideration mechanism was introduced within updated Parole Board Rules in July 2019.</p><p>Since the introduction of the reconsideration mechanism, the Secretary of State has requested reconsideration by the Parole Board in a total of 39 cases.</p><p>Within that total, 8 applications were for offences of rape, 6 applications were for offences of murder and 7 applications were for terror-related offences.</p><p>Note: The above are instances of reconsideration applications not number of offenders covered by the applications.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 19/04/2022 10:54:06 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1455946

registered interest
date	30/03/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Parole
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether the assessment of risk to the public in his plans to reform the parole process will include the risk of re-traumatising victims.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Steve Reed
uin	150176
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2022 answer text <p>The Government’s Root and Branch Review of the Parole System, published on 30 March, set out reforms that will ensure public protection and public confidence are at the heart of the parole process, as well as giving victims a stronger voice. We have announced our intention to amend the statutory test for release, to introduce ministerial oversight of decisions in the top-tier cohort of cases, to increase the number of Parole Board panel members from law enforcement backgrounds and to allow victims to make submissions to the Parole Board which the Board must take into account.</p><p> </p><p>The test for release will focus on what is necessary to ensure that the public, including victims, are protected by making it clear that this is the overriding consideration. By allowing victims to make submissions to the Board, we will ensure that their concerns about the potential release of the offender are taken into account. We recognise that the parole process can be immensely traumatic for victims. For that reason, some victims will not want to participate in the parole process at all but others want their voices to be heard. Our reforms will ensure that they can do that.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 19/04/2022 10:48:10 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1455954

registered interest
date	30/03/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Parole
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his plans to reform the parole process will consider preventing released offenders living near their victim where that is against the victim's wishes.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Steve Reed
uin	150177
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2022 answer text <p>As we announced in our Root and Branch Review of the Parole System, published on 30 March, our focus is to enhance public protection and improve the system for victims – giving them greater access and a more prominent voice in the parole process. It is already the case that upon release from prison, and for the duration of their licence period, offenders must only reside at an address approved by the Probation Service. Failure to comply with such conditions can result in the offender being recalled to prison.</p><p> </p><p>The victim’s wishes are taken into account in developing the offender’s release plan. Victims signed up to the Victim Contact Scheme have the statutory right to request licence conditions in advance of a prisoner’s release and the Probation Service will consider what conditions may be required to protect victims and their families against unwanted contact. These could include a non-contact condition or an exclusion zone, prohibiting the offender from entering areas where the victim lives and works, or to which the victim travels frequently.</p><p> </p><p>Protecting the public and victims is the government’s priority. Under our proposed reforms, we will ensure that victims’ wishes and concerns are given more prominence in the parole process, including plans to require the Parole Board to take account of submissions from victims.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 19/04/2022 10:49:08 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1455980

registered interest
date	30/03/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Drugs: Prison Sentences
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in the context of reported figures on black people being ten times more likely than white people to be sent to prison for first-time drug offences, what steps he is taking to tackle this imbalance.
tabling member constituency	Reigate
tabling member printed	Crispin Blunt
uin	150059
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/04/2022 answer text <p>We recognise that race disparities persist in the Criminal Justice System, and we are committed to identifying and addressing disparities under the axiom of ‘explain or reform’ laid out in the Lammy Review. And though we acknowledge that Black people are overrepresented amongst those sentenced to prison for a first-time drug offence, this falls short of the reported 10-fold figure.</p><p> </p><p>Recent data indicates that the main drivers of this overrepresentation lie upstream of the point of prosecution. The government’s data on <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2020" target="_blank">Outcomes by Offence</a> shows that relative to Black individuals being prosecuted for drug possession, a similar proportion go on to be sentenced for the same offence (15% of individuals identified as Black during prosecution and at the point of sentencing). At the point of sentence, in 2020, 3% of Black individuals were sentenced to immediate custody as a proportion of all Black individuals sentenced for drug possession, which was the same rate as for White individuals, also 3%. These figures suggest that upon reaching prosecution, Black individuals receive outcomes at similar rates to White counterparts. This mirrors the findings of the report from the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, and our ambitious response - the <em>Inclusive Britain</em> strategy, which highlighted the importance of a whole system approach.</p><p>Whilst sentencing is a matter for our independent courts, we are committed to tackling the deep-rooted reasons why people from ethnic minorities are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, including the disproportionate criminalisation of ethnic minorities for drug offences. As set out in <em>Inclusive Britain</em> we have committed to exploring a wide range of schemes to divert people away from the CJS for possession, where appropriate, and will share what works best with police services around the country.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 19/04/2022 11:16:20 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	104 label Biography information for Crispin Blunt

1455269

registered interest
date	29/03/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	War Crimes: Russia
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with lawyers at the International Criminal Court on investigations into Russian war crimes.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	149255
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2022 answer text <p>Further to the request for assistance from States Parties to the Rome Statute, issued by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 2 March, my right hon. Friend, the Deputy Prime Minister, met with the Prosecutor, Mr Karim A.A. Khan QC, twice.</p><p> </p><p>The first meeting, on 14 March, was focused on how the UK can best support the ICC’s investigation into war crimes in Ukraine.</p><p> </p><p>The second meeting, on 24 March, took place in the context of a meeting of other States Parties, convened and chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, to discuss international support for the court. This included an announcement of the UK’s offer of a financial contribution of £1 million from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), as well as a range of technical, military and police expertise.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 06/04/2022 14:28:22 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1455271

registered interest
date	29/03/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Terrorism: Sentencing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make it his policy to increase sentences for terror offences.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	149257
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2022 answer text <p>The Counter Terrorism and Sentencing Act 2021 marked a major overhaul of terrorist sentencing, including measures to strengthen the sentencing options available, improve monitoring in the community, and remove early release for the most serious offenders. Central to these measures was the introduction of a new ‘Serious Terrorism Sentence’ for dangerous offenders with a 14-year minimum prison term and up to 25 years on licence.</p><p> </p><p>This Act built upon the emergency legislation passed in February 2020, the Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) (TORER) Act which retrospectively ended automatic early release for terrorists serving standard determinate sentences. We have also introduced new measures to strengthen the management of terrorist offenders in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.</p><p> </p><p>We keep this vital area under constant review in order to ensure that our courts are able to impose strong penalties for those who threaten our national security.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 06/04/2022 09:42:01 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1455272

registered interest
date	29/03/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Crimes of Violence: Females
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 potential merits of extending prison sentences for perpetrators of violence against women and girls.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	149258
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2022 answer text <p>Sentencing is entirely a matter for our independent courts, taking into account all the circumstances of each case.</p><p> </p><p>In April 2020, the Government changed the law to prevent the automatic release at the halfway point of offenders given a standard determinate sentence of 7 years or more for a serious violent or sexual offence with a maximum penalty of life, such as rape. Instead, such offenders will be released at the two-thirds point of the sentence. Provisions in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill extend this to offenders serving sentences of 4 years or more for certain violent and sexual offences. This will ensure victims and the public are protected for longer.</p><p> </p><p>In July 2021, the Government published its Violence against Women and Girls Strategy, with a Tackling Domestic Abuse Plan published on 30 March 2022, which will help drive a step-change in the response to these crimes and build on the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 06/04/2022 09:44:02 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1455273

registered interest
date	29/03/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse: Victim Support Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to victims who must take time off work during domestic abuse cases being heard in court, and who do not want to inform their employers of the details of their case, whether the Government has made an assessment of the potential merits of providing financial support to victims through the court process.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	149259
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2022 answer text <p>It is incredibly important that victims of domestic abuse get the support they need to access justice through the court process. The Government does not provide financial support aimed specifically at victims who are having to take time off work to attend court but encourages employers to develop and implement policies to support domestic abuse victims in their workforce. We continue to work closely with employers, businesses and expert groups such as the Employer’s Initiative on Domestic Abuse, to encourage them to consider what more they can do to provide workplace support for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. Employees are entitled to paid annual leave and may request unpaid leave and are not obliged to disclose the reasons why leave is being requested. Some employers also set their own internal policies to offer employees other forms of time off, for example for victims of domestic abuse.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 06/04/2022 09:45:49 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1455274

registered interest
date	29/03/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Sexual Offences: Criminal Proceedings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will take steps to reduce delays in hearings concerning historical allegations of sexual abuse.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	149260
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/04/2022 answer text <p>The Government is committed to supporting the recovery of the courts for all court users, including those who face delays in accessing justice where there is an accusation of sexual abuse.</p><p> </p><p>We are increasing funding for victim and witness support services from over £150 million in 2021/22 to over £185 million by 2024/25. This will fund more than 1,000 Independent Sexual and Domestic Violence Advisors as well as 24/7 crisis helplines and is an 85% increase on funding in 2019/20.</p><p> </p><p>In December 2021, the Government announced that Section 28 for sexual violence and modern slavery complainants, the legislation that allows vulnerable witnesses to pre-record evidence, will be rolled out nationally for this cohort.</p><p> </p><p>We have extended 30 Nightingale courtrooms beyond the end of March 2022 and we removed the limit on the number of days the Crown Court can sit in the 2021/22 financial year. To secure enough capacity to sit at the required levels in 2022/23 and beyond we are expanding our plans for judicial recruitment.</p><p> </p><p>These measures are already working, and as a result we expect to get through 20% more Crown Court cases in the 2022/23 financial year than we did pre-Covid. Following an increase in funding as part of the Ministry of Justice’s Spending Review settlement, we aim to reduce the number of outstanding cases in the Crown Court to 53,000 by March 2025. This will help all court users, including those cases concerning historical allegations of sexual abuse.</p><p> </p><p>The listing of cases is a judicial function and judges continue to work to prioritise cases involving vulnerable complainants and witnesses, such as serious sex cases.</p> answering member constituency North West Hampshire answering member printed Kit Malthouse question first answered 06/04/2022 15:07:51 answering member 4495 label Biography information for Kit Malthouse
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon