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1127105

registered interest
date	16/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Extortion: Prosecutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many successful prosecutions have been brought for the offence of blackmail against people that demanded money to leave sites which they are occupying illegally in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
tabling member printed	Toby Perkins
uin	255320
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>Information regarding prosecutions and convictions for blackmail offences from 2010 to 2018 can be found at the following link –</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802314/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2018.xlsx" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802314/outcomes-by-offence-tool-2018.xlsx</a></p><p> </p><p>Filter the ‘Offence’ field to ’35 Blackmail’ to obtain these figures. The total number of defendants proceeded against as well as those convicted of blackmail for the 2008-2018 decade will appear in the pivot table.</p><p> </p><p>However, specific information regarding blackmail offences, such as the offence of blackmail against people that demanded money to leave sites which they were occupying illegally, may be held on court record. But to be able to identify these cases, as they are not held centrally, we would have to access individual court records which would be of disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 21/05/2019 10:40:49 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1127183

registered interest
date	16/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Mental Health Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prison officers have received training on when to refer a person for mental health support.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	255325
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>Over 14,000 staff have already received the new suicide and self-harm reduction training which includes a module on Mental Health Awareness, in addition to the safer custody training already provided across the estate.</p><p> </p><p>Prison Officer Entry Level Training (POELT) is a mandatory 12 week programme for all new entrant officers to give them the knowledge and skills they need to carry out their role. There are a number of sessions on Mental Health within this training, including: ‘Introduction to Mental Health’, ‘Introduction to Suicide and Self Harm (SASH) Prevention’ and ‘Personality Disorders.’ This training will enable staff to identify any concerns and submit the appropriate referral to healthcare professionals.</p><p> </p><p>The following e-learning training is also available on Civil Service Learning for all staff working in Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service:</p><ul><li>Mental Health Conditions and Dementia: Support for Customers</li><li>Mental Health at Work</li><li>Wellbeing, Resilience and Stress</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 21/05/2019 15:40:38 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1127184

registered interest
date	16/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Death and Self-harm
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce levels of self-harm and deaths in custody among the prison population.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	255326
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>Prisons should be places of safety and reform. We recognise that the current level of suicide and self-harm is too high. With this in mind, the Government is taking unprecedented action, including:</p><ul><li>investing in over 4,700 additional staff since October 2015;</li><li>introducing new suicide and self-harm prevention training, which has already reached over 24,000 staff;</li><li>improving support for prisoners in their early days and weeks and rolling out a ‘key worker’ scheme which ensures each prisoner has dedicated support from a particular prison officer;</li><li>funding the Samaritans to provide their valuable Listeners Scheme for a further three years; and</li><li>improving the ACCT case management process for those identified as at risk of self-harm or suicide.</li></ul><p> </p><p>We are also committed to taking action to improve prisoners’ health. Since April 2018, a new National Partnership Agreement has been in place, marking an even stronger level of co-operation and cohesiveness between agencies that influence the policy, commissioning and delivery of prison health services. The agreement sets out how the partnership (DHSC, NHS England, MoJ, HMPPS and Public Health England) will work together to deliver its three core objectives. It agrees ten key priority areas for 2018-2021, including reducing incidents of self-harm and self-inflicted deaths in the adult secure estate.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, NHS England has published a new Service Specification for Integrated Substance Misuse Treatment Services in Prisons in England, which brings greater focus to the treatment of users of psychoactive substances and makes stronger links to mental health.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 21/05/2019 16:11:36 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1126889

registered interest
date	15/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Consultants
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 25 March 2019 to Question 231973 on HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Consultants, for what reason the figure for the total spend by the HM Courts and Tribunals Service on consultancy in 2016-17 provided in that Answer differs from the total figure for that expenditure published on page 47 of the HM Courts & Tribunals Service Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17.
tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
uin	254791
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>The previous parliamentary question 231973 asked for total spend on consultancy in 2016-17, so the figures provided were extracted from the Bravo contract system which reports all spend that has been invoiced during the reporting period.</p><p> </p><p>HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17 are prepared on an accruals basis - this is when the cost is recognised within the relevant period in which the department derives the benefit of the services acquired or consume the goods purchased, regardless of when invoices are received or payment was made – and is the reason why the Answer to Question 231973 differs.</p><p> </p><p>The Annual Report &amp; Accounts are prepared in accordance with accounting standards and are subject to audit.</p><p> </p><p>By making use of consultants, the department can save on salary, national insurance and pension costs associated with permanently employing individuals whose skills may not be needed after a set period.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 20/05/2019 16:09:42 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1126464

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Joseph McCann
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what date did his officials inform him that Joseph McCann had been released in error.
tabling member constituency	Leeds East
tabling member printed	Richard Burgon
uin	254233
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>Joseph McCann has now been charged with a number of serious sexual offences committed on or after 21 April 2019. At the time he was being supervised by the National Probation Service (NPS) on licence, as part of the sentence of imprisonment for public protection which he had received In 2008. The NPS will now review how Mr McCann was managed in the community, in accordance with the Probation Serious Further Offence (SFO) Review Procedures, in order to identify whether there were any deficiencies in practice which must be addressed by means of a formal action plan.</p><p> </p><p>We are looking into the circumstances surrounding his release.He was released on 15 February 2019, in accordance with the sentence of the Court on 25 January 2018, having served half the three-year determinate sentence for burglary which the Court imposed, less time he had already spent on remand.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 21/05/2019 16:16:11 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	4493 label Biography information for Richard Burgon

1126481

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the appointment of Vera Baird as Victims' Commissioner, (a) what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of holding a by-election for a new Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner; and (b) whether an assessment was made of that cost as part of that appointment process.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	254270
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>The role of the Victims’ Commissioner is greatly valued across the justice system and the Government welcomes the recent appointment of Dame Vera Baird QC to the role.</p><p> </p><p>Dame Vera’s appointment was made in line with the Governance Code for Public Appointments which prescribes that all public appointments should be governed by the principle of appointment on merit. An assessment of the costs of a by-election was not factored into the appointment process.</p><p> </p><p><em>A Police and Crime Commissioner by-election will be run by a statutorily independent Returning Officer and will be funded out of the </em><em>Consolidated Fund</em><em>. </em></p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 20/05/2019 15:23:57 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1126553

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Offences against Children: Trials
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the potential effect on victims of historical child sexual abuse of providing them with an alternative to court proceedings involving a jury trial.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	254206
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>Tackling historical sexual abuse and bringing perpetrators to justice is a government priority. It is vital that victims are provided with support to cope and recover from the impact of crime, regardless of whether they choose to report the crime to the police.</p><p> </p><p>The right of defendants in Crown Court cases to be tried by their peers is a fundamental part of our justice system and the government has no plans to interfere with it.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 20/05/2019 13:30:12 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1126554

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Offences against Children: Trials
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether advice and training is in place for jury members deciding on cases of historical childhood sexual abuse; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	South Shields
tabling member printed	Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck
uin	254207
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>Juries are randomly selected, independent and make decisions purely on the basis of the facts presented to them by the prosecution and defence. Jury members receive no advice or training prior to being called to serve on any case. However, they are guided and supported by the trial judge who advises them on the relevant points of law and reminds them of their role.</p><p>Judges hearing serious sex offence cases are required to have specialist training and specific instructions on how to direct the jury in sexual offence cases are available.</p><p> </p><p>There is guidance provided to judges in the Crown Court Compendium (a publicly available document) as to what directions may be given to juries in appropriate circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>https://www.judiciary.uk/publications/crown-court-compendium-published-december-2018/</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 20/05/2019 16:06:12 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	4277 label Biography information for Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck

1126605

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Offences against Children: Extracurricular Activities
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will extend the definition of abuse of positions of trust in the Sexual Offences Act 2003 to cover all adults working with children in extra-curricular activities.
tabling member constituency	Eastbourne
tabling member printed	Stephen Lloyd
uin	254179
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>Any sexual activity with a child under 16 is a criminal offence, regardless of whether consent is given. Any non-consensual sexual activity is also a crime, whatever the age of the victim and whatever the relationship between the victim and perpetrator.</p><p> </p><p>I recognise that there are concerns about those who might abuse their position of power over a 16 or 17-year-old to pressure them into engaging in a sexual relationship. Such behaviour is very likely to be caught by the robust laws we already have in place,</p><p> </p><p>However, we remain absolutely committed to protecting children and young people from sexual abuse and we want to ensure that existing offences are being used effectively to tackle this behaviour, and that those working with young people understand their responsibilities and act appropriately.</p><p> </p><p>My department, working closely with colleagues across government, is taking forward a review of the existing law, to check that that it is working effectively and ensuring young people are protected.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 21/05/2019 16:14:27 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
tabling member	3968 label Biography information for Stephen Lloyd

1126624

registered interest
date	14/05/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Autism
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) men and (b) women in prison are on the autistic spectrum.
tabling member constituency	Camberwell and Peckham
tabling member printed	Ms Harriet Harman
uin	254060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2019 answer text <p>The MoJ does not centrally hold specific information on the number of prisoners who are on the autistic spectrum, either within prisons or young offender’s institutions. The most recent, available data from the Department for Education (2014/15) shows that 0.25% of Offender Learners (defined as offenders aged 18 or over that participated in Skills Funding Agency funded learning while in the prison system) self-declared as having a learning difficulty classified within the Autistic Spectrum Disorder category. This represents 250 out of 101,600 learners. This data is not, however, separated out by gender.</p><p> </p><p>The MoJ is committed to ensuring that all individuals who come into contact with the prison system are able to access the right support to help them engage with their sentence. We are therefore taking a number of steps to improve data collection on disability within prisons.</p><p> </p><p>This includes work by HM Prisons and Probation Service looking at how disabilities data can be better categorised on the Prison National Offender Management System (P-NOMIS) for offenders aged 18 and over to improve staff awareness.</p><p>Health and justice partners are also working to establish the new Health and Justice Information Service (HJIS) to improve the link between prisons and community by introducing a system of sharing clinical records between community and prison on reception, and from prison back to the community on release.</p><p> </p><p>Finally, the new adult prison education framework contracts, which commenced on 1 April, have introduced numerous improvements to the way prisoners aged 18 and over with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD) are screened and provided with regular and consistent support throughout their sentence.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland grouped question UIN 254061 question first answered 20/05/2019 11:46:29 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	150 label Biography information for Ms Harriet Harman