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1300302

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Officers: Pay
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 2 March 2021 to Question 158908, Prison Officers: Pay, if he will place a redacted copy of that Equality Impact Assessment in the Library.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	164558
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2021 answer text <p>In line with the practice of successive administrations, the Government does not routinely publish Equality Impact Assessments (EIA). The scope of the legal advice in the EIA was surrounding options that the Department was considering as part of the its decision-making regarding prison officer pay and allowances. These options were ultimately not pursued as they were not cost viable.</p><p> </p><p>The EIA recognised that rejecting recommendation 3 from the PSPRB 20/21 report would adversely impact staff on Fair &amp; Sustainable (F&amp;S) terms and conditions, who (as per the data published on 2 March) are a more diverse staffing group than their counterparts on closed-grades terms. The Government’s consideration of recommendation 3 took this into account, alongside other factors such as the exceptional costs associated with implementing this recommendation, the impact on the overall pay structure, and the changing labour market conditions due to the exceptional economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>The Department identified as part of the EIA that the adverse impact of rejecting recommendation 3 would be addressed by efforts to close the pay differential between staff on closed-grades terms and those on F&amp;S terms. This remains a key component of the Department’s longer-term pay strategy.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s Public Sector pay restraint policy for the current (2021/22) financial year was announced by the Chancellor on the 25 November 2020. He detailed that pay rises in the public sector will be restrained and targeted, and that anyone earning less than £24,000 will be protected and will receive a minimum uplift of £250, or the National Living Wage (whichever is the higher) should they qualify. An equalities impact assessment was undertaken as part of the Chancellor’s decision and it did not find that the implementation of public sector pay restraint will result in any unjustified differential impact to individuals with protected characteristics. It can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2020-spending-review-public-sector-pay-policy-full-impact-assessment.</p><p> </p><p>The national equivalent basic pay of Band 3 prison staff on F&amp;S terms (our largest staffing group), as well as both F&amp;S and closed grade Band 2 operational support grades is below the protected earnings floor of £24,000. The Department’s proposals on how the uplift should apply to prison staff will be published and submitted to the PSPRB for their consideration shortly.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 164559 164560 164562 question first answered 11/03/2021 17:22:26 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1300303

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Officers: Pay
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 2 March 2021 to Question 158908, Prison Officers: Pay, what the scope of the legal advice contained in that Equality Impact Assessment is.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	164559
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2021 answer text <p>In line with the practice of successive administrations, the Government does not routinely publish Equality Impact Assessments (EIA). The scope of the legal advice in the EIA was surrounding options that the Department was considering as part of the its decision-making regarding prison officer pay and allowances. These options were ultimately not pursued as they were not cost viable.</p><p> </p><p>The EIA recognised that rejecting recommendation 3 from the PSPRB 20/21 report would adversely impact staff on Fair &amp; Sustainable (F&amp;S) terms and conditions, who (as per the data published on 2 March) are a more diverse staffing group than their counterparts on closed-grades terms. The Government’s consideration of recommendation 3 took this into account, alongside other factors such as the exceptional costs associated with implementing this recommendation, the impact on the overall pay structure, and the changing labour market conditions due to the exceptional economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>The Department identified as part of the EIA that the adverse impact of rejecting recommendation 3 would be addressed by efforts to close the pay differential between staff on closed-grades terms and those on F&amp;S terms. This remains a key component of the Department’s longer-term pay strategy.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s Public Sector pay restraint policy for the current (2021/22) financial year was announced by the Chancellor on the 25 November 2020. He detailed that pay rises in the public sector will be restrained and targeted, and that anyone earning less than £24,000 will be protected and will receive a minimum uplift of £250, or the National Living Wage (whichever is the higher) should they qualify. An equalities impact assessment was undertaken as part of the Chancellor’s decision and it did not find that the implementation of public sector pay restraint will result in any unjustified differential impact to individuals with protected characteristics. It can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2020-spending-review-public-sector-pay-policy-full-impact-assessment.</p><p> </p><p>The national equivalent basic pay of Band 3 prison staff on F&amp;S terms (our largest staffing group), as well as both F&amp;S and closed grade Band 2 operational support grades is below the protected earnings floor of £24,000. The Department’s proposals on how the uplift should apply to prison staff will be published and submitted to the PSPRB for their consideration shortly.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 164558 164560 164562 question first answered 11/03/2021 17:22:26 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1300308

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Officers: Pay
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 2 March 2021 to Question 158908, Prison Officers: Pay, what risks involving the impact of rejecting the recommendation on (a) eliminating unlawful discrimination and (b) advancing equality of opportunity were identified in that Equality Impact Assessment.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	164560
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2021 answer text <p>In line with the practice of successive administrations, the Government does not routinely publish Equality Impact Assessments (EIA). The scope of the legal advice in the EIA was surrounding options that the Department was considering as part of the its decision-making regarding prison officer pay and allowances. These options were ultimately not pursued as they were not cost viable.</p><p> </p><p>The EIA recognised that rejecting recommendation 3 from the PSPRB 20/21 report would adversely impact staff on Fair &amp; Sustainable (F&amp;S) terms and conditions, who (as per the data published on 2 March) are a more diverse staffing group than their counterparts on closed-grades terms. The Government’s consideration of recommendation 3 took this into account, alongside other factors such as the exceptional costs associated with implementing this recommendation, the impact on the overall pay structure, and the changing labour market conditions due to the exceptional economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>The Department identified as part of the EIA that the adverse impact of rejecting recommendation 3 would be addressed by efforts to close the pay differential between staff on closed-grades terms and those on F&amp;S terms. This remains a key component of the Department’s longer-term pay strategy.</p><p> </p><p>The Government’s Public Sector pay restraint policy for the current (2021/22) financial year was announced by the Chancellor on the 25 November 2020. He detailed that pay rises in the public sector will be restrained and targeted, and that anyone earning less than £24,000 will be protected and will receive a minimum uplift of £250, or the National Living Wage (whichever is the higher) should they qualify. An equalities impact assessment was undertaken as part of the Chancellor’s decision and it did not find that the implementation of public sector pay restraint will result in any unjustified differential impact to individuals with protected characteristics. It can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2020-spending-review-public-sector-pay-policy-full-impact-assessment.</p><p> </p><p>The national equivalent basic pay of Band 3 prison staff on F&amp;S terms (our largest staffing group), as well as both F&amp;S and closed grade Band 2 operational support grades is below the protected earnings floor of £24,000. The Department’s proposals on how the uplift should apply to prison staff will be published and submitted to the PSPRB for their consideration shortly.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 164558 164559 164562 question first answered 11/03/2021 17:22:26 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1284192

registered interest
date	04/02/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) prison officers and (b) other staff members at (i) HMP Berwyn and (ii) other prisons in Wales are Welsh speaking.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	149308
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2021 answer text <p>HMPPS do not gather official statistics about the number of Welsh speaking staff in prisons. The below local information was collected by Equalities Leads in Wales in Jan 2021, however, this is subject to staff declaring themselves to be Welsh speakers. There is also varying levels of fluency among staff.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Public Sector Prison</p></td><td><p>Number of operational Welsh speaking Staff</p></td><td><p>Number of non-operational Welsh speaking staff</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Berwyn</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Cardiff</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Swansea</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>6</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Usk &amp; Prescoed</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>At HMP Parc, 32 operational staff and 26 non-operational staff are Welsh speakers.</p><p>We are working hard to increase the diversity of prison staff and making the recruitment process more accessible to new starters from a range of backgrounds, and we continue to welcome applications from Welsh speakers and in the Welsh language.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 09/02/2021 16:05:26 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1282693

registered interest
date	01/02/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Berwyn Prison: Welsh Language
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Incentives and Earned Privileges warnings have been issued for use of the Welsh language in HMP Berwyn since 2017.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	146978
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2021 answer text <p>No IEP warnings have been issued at HMP Berwyn for use of the Welsh Language since 2017.</p><p> </p><p>The Incentives and Earned Privilege policy at HMP Berwyn aims to incentivise residents to abide with community rules and engage in the prison regime to support rehabilitation and help prepare prisoners to lead crime-free lives on release, whilst allowing the establishment to consistently and fairly tackle poor behaviour.</p><p> </p><p>HMP Berwyn is committed to supporting its prisoners, which includes meeting the expectations of the Welsh Language Commissioner and helping encourage Welsh speaking at the prison.</p><p> </p><p>Every prison in Wales, including HMP Berwyn, has a Welsh Language Action plan and HMP Berwyn has a dedicated Welsh Language Lead who provide updates to their Diversity &amp; Inclusion Committee, chaired by the Governor.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 04/02/2021 15:48:37 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1282709

registered interest
date	01/02/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) cases of covid-19 and (b) covid-19 related deaths there have been in each prison in Wales as at 1 February 2021.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	146979
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2021 answer text <p>COVID statistics relating to prisoners are published every month. The latest published data covers the time period up until 31<sup>st</sup> Dec 2020 is provided below. The next monthly publication will cover data up to the end of Jan 2021 and will be published on 12<sup>th</sup> Feb here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hm-prison-and-probation-service-covid-19-statistics-monthly" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hm-prison-and-probation-service-covid-19-statistics-monthly</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The below cumulative positive cases of COVID-19 and COVID-19 related deaths have been confirmed for prisoners in prisons in Wales. All deaths listed have either had a laboratory confirmed positive test within 28 days of passing, a laboratory confirmed positive test within 60 days of passing or COVID 19 has appeared on the death certificate.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Prisoner Cases as at 31<sup>st</sup> Dec 2020</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Prisoner Deaths as at 1<sup>st</sup> Feb 2021</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Berwyn</p></td><td><p>79</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Cardiff</p></td><td><p>198</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Parc</p></td><td><p>141</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Swansea</p></td><td><p>25</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Usk/Prescoed</p></td><td><p>93</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>536</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>5</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>COVID statistics relating to staff are published every quarter. The latest published data covers the time period up until 31<sup>st</sup> Oct 2020 and is provided below. The next statistical release will cover the time period up until the end of January 2021 and will be published on 18<sup>th</sup> February here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics</a>.</p><p>The below cumulative positive cases of COVID-19 and COVID-19 related deaths have been confirmed for staff in prisons in Wales:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Staff Cases as at 31<sup>st</sup> Oct 2020</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Staff Deaths as at 31<sup>st</sup> Oct 2020</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Berwyn</p></td><td><p>66</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Cardiff</p></td><td><p>30</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Parc</p></td><td><p>31</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Swansea</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>HMP Usk/Prescoed</p></td><td><p>22</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>163</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>These figures include both directly and non-directly employed staff. Data on positive cases is self-reported with staff members notifying their manager of a positive test result. Staff deaths related to COVID-19 includes deaths where HMPPS staff have died having tested positive for COVID-19 or where there was a clinical assessment that COVID-19 was a contributory factor in their death.</p><p>Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Much of the data collected during the COVID-19 pandemic has been done at pace, with recording practices evolving as we understand more about the requirements and conditions we are facing. In order to present the timeliest information, the data presented has not been subjected to the usual standard of quality assurance associated with official statistics.</p><p>The safety of our staff and all those under our supervision remains our top priority. We have taken quick and decisive action – backed by Public Health England and Wales – to limit the spread of the virus.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 04/02/2021 17:29:08 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1281843

registered interest
date	28/01/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Welsh Language
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment has he made of the compliance of (a) HMP Berwyn (b) other prisons in Wales with Welsh language equality legislation.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	145084
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2021 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service’s published the new Welsh Language Scheme for 2020-2023 in October 2020. The scheme covers both Wales and England and sets out how, in the conduct of public business and the administration of justice in Wales, it will treat the Welsh and English languages on a basis of equality. Compliance with the Scheme will be monitored throughout the life of the Scheme, with progress reports submitted to the Commissioner annually. The Welsh language has also been added to the revamped Equality Analysis process, meaning that all matters of policy and procedural change should be considering any impact on the Welsh language.</p><p> </p><p>HMPPS Wales is fully committed to ensuring that the scheme is an intrinsic part of their work. The scheme has been promoted to staff and service users via a series of presentations and briefing sessions. In addition, an Intranet page has been created to provide resources to support implementation.</p><p> </p><p>Every prison in Wales, including HMP Berwyn, has a Welsh Language Action plan which has been renewed in line with the new requirements and is owned by a member of the prison’s Senior Management Team. In addition, HMP Berwyn has a dedicated Welsh Language Lead who provide updates to their Diversity &amp; Inclusion Committee, chaired by the Governor.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 02/02/2021 17:58:13 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1271423

registered interest
date	15/12/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	CAFCASS
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the decision by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) of 23 November 2020 to allocate only the highest priority work in South Yorkshire and Humber, what impact assessment his Department has carried out on the effect of the prioritisation protocol on children and families in (a) South Yorkshire and Humber and (b) other regions.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	130171
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice has been working closely with Cafcass on mitigating the additional pressures on its services from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Decisions on Cafcass funding are made at a national level. Following discussions with Cafcass, the Ministry of Justice agreed £3.4m in additional funding this year to enable it to increase staff capacity at pace to help meet the challenge of a rising open caseload. It is for Cafcass to make operational decisions about how best to deploy resources across its Service Areas, including allocating work between them to alleviate pressures and reduce the risk of triggering the prioritisation protocol.</p><p> </p><p>Since the protocol was triggered in South Yorkshire and Humberside, significant joint agency work has been undertaken by Cafcass, the judiciary, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and other partners such as local authorities. This work has reviewed the root causes for triggering prioritisation in South Yorkshire and Humberside and has included data analysis and reviews of individual case files. The triggering of the protocol in South Yorkshire and Humberside remains under review.</p><p> </p><p>Cafcass has taken measures to manage the impact on children and families of prioritising cases in this Service Area. Cases with a delayed allocation for further Cafcass work will be those where another safeguarding agency is involved or where no safeguarding risks have been identified. The parties will be sent a letter to let them know if Cafcass has been unable to allocate their case and to explain that they will be notified when it has been allocated to a Family Court Adviser. Children will be sent a letter that is age appropriate and explains why their case has been delayed and signposts them to alternative services they can use. The telephone number of a Cafcass Service Manager is given, and they can speak to parents or children if they have concerns about their unallocated case. Delays will be kept to a minimum where possible. All unallocated work will remain under review by a Cafcass Service Manager and reviewed regularly by the Assistant Director in the area and on a weekly basis by a multi-agency group which includes members of the judiciary and HMCTS. A material change to the circumstance of the family could, if appropriate, prompt a change to the priority of the case.</p><p> </p><p>Cafcass continues to work to attract, recruit and retain social workers into the posts created by the additional £3.4m resource. It is continually reviewing and developing options to help retain its highly trained workforce during this challenging time. In South Yorkshire and Humberside Cafcass has recruited a number of agency and permanent Family Court Advisers which has addressed some of the issues present at the point the protocol was triggered.</p><p> </p><p>Ministry of Justice officials hold regular meetings with Cafcass for assurance that its resources are being used as effectively as possible. We are aware of the pressures that Cafcass staff are facing due to unprecedented levels of demand. The importance of being able to recruit and retain appropriately qualified staff is being considered during the approval of Cafcass’ pay remit for this financial year.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 130169 130170 130172 question first answered 11/01/2021 16:15:38 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1271426

registered interest
date	15/12/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	CAFCASS
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the decision by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) of 23 November 2020 to allocate only the highest priority work in South Yorkshire and Humber, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve the effectiveness of Cafcass and (b) increase Cafcass staff retention.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	130172
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2021 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice has been working closely with Cafcass on mitigating the additional pressures on its services from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. Decisions on Cafcass funding are made at a national level. Following discussions with Cafcass, the Ministry of Justice agreed £3.4m in additional funding this year to enable it to increase staff capacity at pace to help meet the challenge of a rising open caseload. It is for Cafcass to make operational decisions about how best to deploy resources across its Service Areas, including allocating work between them to alleviate pressures and reduce the risk of triggering the prioritisation protocol.</p><p> </p><p>Since the protocol was triggered in South Yorkshire and Humberside, significant joint agency work has been undertaken by Cafcass, the judiciary, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and other partners such as local authorities. This work has reviewed the root causes for triggering prioritisation in South Yorkshire and Humberside and has included data analysis and reviews of individual case files. The triggering of the protocol in South Yorkshire and Humberside remains under review.</p><p> </p><p>Cafcass has taken measures to manage the impact on children and families of prioritising cases in this Service Area. Cases with a delayed allocation for further Cafcass work will be those where another safeguarding agency is involved or where no safeguarding risks have been identified. The parties will be sent a letter to let them know if Cafcass has been unable to allocate their case and to explain that they will be notified when it has been allocated to a Family Court Adviser. Children will be sent a letter that is age appropriate and explains why their case has been delayed and signposts them to alternative services they can use. The telephone number of a Cafcass Service Manager is given, and they can speak to parents or children if they have concerns about their unallocated case. Delays will be kept to a minimum where possible. All unallocated work will remain under review by a Cafcass Service Manager and reviewed regularly by the Assistant Director in the area and on a weekly basis by a multi-agency group which includes members of the judiciary and HMCTS. A material change to the circumstance of the family could, if appropriate, prompt a change to the priority of the case.</p><p> </p><p>Cafcass continues to work to attract, recruit and retain social workers into the posts created by the additional £3.4m resource. It is continually reviewing and developing options to help retain its highly trained workforce during this challenging time. In South Yorkshire and Humberside Cafcass has recruited a number of agency and permanent Family Court Advisers which has addressed some of the issues present at the point the protocol was triggered.</p><p> </p><p>Ministry of Justice officials hold regular meetings with Cafcass for assurance that its resources are being used as effectively as possible. We are aware of the pressures that Cafcass staff are facing due to unprecedented levels of demand. The importance of being able to recruit and retain appropriately qualified staff is being considered during the approval of Cafcass’ pay remit for this financial year.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 130169 130170 130171 question first answered 11/01/2021 16:15:38 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts