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1649764

registered interest
date	03/07/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Ministry of Justice: Surveillance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Written Ministerial Statement of 24 November 2022 on Security Update on Surveillance Equipment, WMS 386, whether they have (a) ceased deployment of visual surveillance systems produced by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China onto sensitive sites, (b) ensured no such equipment is connected to their departmental core network, (c) considered whether there are sites outside the definition of sensitive sites to which they would wish to extend risk mitigation and (d) put in place any additional controls or taken any further steps.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	192169
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2023 answer text <p>On 24 November 2022, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster published a Written Ministerial Statement noting that departments had been instructed to take a series of actions relating to surveillance equipment subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China. This Government Department has been implementing this policy along with other protective security controls.</p><p> </p><p>At Report Stage of the Procurement Bill, the Government committed that, within six months of Royal Assent, the Government will set out the timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment supplied by companies subject to the National Intelligence Law of China from sensitive sites. This department will be providing information to the Cabinet Office to support this commitment. It is a longstanding Government policy that specific security arrangements regarding Government estates are withheld on security grounds.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 10/07/2023 13:37:38 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1649343

registered interest
date	30/06/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Buildings
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 the adequacy of the physical condition of court buildings.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	191941
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2023 answer text <p>The condition of the HMCTS estate is kept under review to make sure court and tribunal buildings are safe, secure and meet statutory obligations.</p><p> </p><p>We have spent over £185 million on court maintenance and repairs in the two years to April 2023, to enhance the resilience of the estate and maintain court capacity. An extra £38m was also spent in 2022/23 on additional minor repairs and replacement items.</p><p> </p><p>We have a planned pipeline of future works to improve the resilience and quality of the court estate, and we will continue to work closely with local judiciary and staff to identify and address areas of the highest maintenance priority.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 10/07/2023 09:04:22 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1648478

registered interest
date	28/06/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Officers: Sexual Offences
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prison officers have been (a) found to have committed sexual misconduct at work and (b) dismissed for reasons of sexual misconduct in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	191638
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2023 answer text <p>Information on the number of bands 3 to 5 prison officers who were subject to Conduct and Discipline for the charge of sexual assault/harassment are given in table 1 and the outcomes of the cases are given in Table 2 below. Figures are presented by financial years.</p><p>There is not a specific charge of ‘sexual misconduct’ and so figures for the charge of ‘sexual assault/ harassment’ are given.</p><p>The vast majority of prison officers are hardworking and honest, and we will never hesitate to take the strongest possible action against the small minority who break the law.</p><p><strong>Table 1: Headcount of band 3-5 prison officers<sup>1</sup> disciplined<sup>2</sup> for charge of sexual harassment/assault, by financial year 01 April to 31 March 2017/18 - 2021/22 <sup>(p)</sup></strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2017/2018</p></td><td><p>2018/2019</p></td><td><p>2019/2020</p></td><td><p>2020/2021</p></td><td><p>2021/2022</p></td><td><p>Total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Headcount</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>11</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>18</p></td><td><p>31</p></td><td><p><strong>78</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p><strong>Table 2: Number of penalties imposed<sup>3</sup> on band 3-5 prison officers<sup>1</sup> disciplined<sup>2</sup> for sexual harassment/assault, by financial year 01 April to 31 March 2017/18 - 2021/22 (p)</strong></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>2017/2018</p></td><td><p>2018/2019</p></td><td><p>2019/2020</p></td><td><p>2020/2021</p></td><td><p>2021/2022</p></td><td><p>Total</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dismissal<sup>3</sup></p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>10</p></td><td><p>31</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other penalties<sup>4</sup></p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>21</p></td><td><p>47</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total number of penalties<sup>5</sup></strong></p></td><td><p><strong>8</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>11</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>10</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>18</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>31</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>78</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Notes:</p><p>1. Band 3-5 Officers includes Band 3-4 / Prison Officers (incl. specialists), Band 4 / Supervising Officers, and Band 5 / Custodial Managers.</p><p>2. Staff with at least one conduct and discipline case concluded during the period. Conduct and discipline cases are defined as where a penalty has been imposed on a member of HMPPS staff for a reason of conduct.</p><p>3. A dismissal case is defined as where at least one of the charges relating to an individual is recommended for dismissal. Information on the outcomes of any appeal is not included.</p><p>4. Other penalties are only counted here where dismissal is not recommended. A finding of dismissal, in combination with other penalties is counted as a dismissal and not other penalty.</p><p>5. A case can result in more than one penalty and staff have been counted once for each penalty imposed against them.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>(p)</p></td><td><p>'Provisional data. There may be minor changes to figures from December 2017 onwards in future.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 06/07/2023 14:37:07 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1643456

registered interest
date	09/06/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Children: Custody
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 assessment of the adequacy of the support his Department provides to parents whose contact with their children is hindered by another parent or guardian.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	188772
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2023 answer text <p>The Government is aware of the difficulties that some parents can face in continuing their relationship with their child following parental divorce or separation.</p><p> </p><p>Under the current legal framework, a parent can apply for a child arrangements order for the child to live with or spend time with them. The welfare of the child is paramount in any decision regarding child arrangements, including decisions about the nature and extent of parental involvement.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to helping more parents resolve their issues earlier without coming to court where it is safe to do so. In March 2021 the Government launched the Mediation Voucher Scheme providing separating couples with children up to £500 towards the cost of mediation. As of 4 June 2023, the scheme has helped over 18,250 families to access mediation and resolve their issues away from the family court. In March 2023 the government announced on an additional £15m to allow the scheme to continue for a further two years. We expect this will support around a further 28,500 families.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is currently consulting on how we can best support families resolve their disputes earlier and in the best interests of their children. Our proposals include fully funded pre-court co-parenting programmes and a requirement, in appropriate cases, to make a reasonable attempt to mediate before applying to court.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 19/06/2023 14:05:22 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1643457

registered interest
date	09/06/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Officers: Training
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 assessment of the adequacy of the training provided to prison staff on the prevention of (a) unconscious bias and (b) discrimination.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	188773
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2023 answer text <p>MoJ Learning and Development for HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) provides operational training, predominantly for newly recruited prison officers and other prison staff. This training covers discrimination, which includes diversity and inclusion, procedural justice perceptions and rehabilitative culture. All HMPPS D&amp;I learning has a common thread of conscious inclusion. The content of the prison officer training programme has been designed in consultation with organisational policy leads.</p><p> </p><p>All HMPPS staff have access to an online e-learning platform called MyLearning. This platform enables staff to continue their professional development journey and offers additional learning which includes workplace adjustments, developing cultural intelligence, diversity and inclusion and respect in the workplace. The Civil Service Expectations training package is also included on this platform which covers discrimination.</p><p> </p><p>The HMPPS Race Action Programme has a Learning and Development Project which has ambitions to address racial discrimination by improving our staff learning offer. This work began with a review of our existing learning provisions to assess quality and relevance. The project is now working to create an open learning culture for all; with better coordinated and more dynamic learning activity which will embed inclusivity across our organisation. This includes establishing a Learning Gateway Board to quality assure new learning, developing an interactive learning platform and setting up a central hub for all diversity and inclusion learning materials.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 14/06/2023 15:07:48 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1625147

registered interest
date	02/05/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Racial Discrimination
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps he has taken to help prevent racial discrimination in prisons in England.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	183542
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2023 answer text <p>Our response to the HMI Prisons thematic on the experiences of adult black staff and black prisoners recently set out our ambition to take a zero-tolerance approach to racism and discrimination. This is a long-term commitment to change the culture of HMPPS for the better, with a plan focussed on actions and underpinned by clear accountability.</p><p>Our approach includes short, medium, and long-term actions to ensure there is equal opportunity and equal outcomes for all staff and people in custody. This will include reviewing the impact of use of force, developing a nationwide reverse mentoring programme, creating more targeted recruitment campaigns and continuing to work closely with third sector partners, trade unions and our staff networks, such as RISE, which focuses on black and other underrepresented staffing groups.</p><p>Routinely, prisons are responsible for identifying and tackling disproportionality locally. This is done via diversity and inclusion forums where racial issues are raised, discussed, and solutions actioned. In addition, the HMPPS Tackling Unacceptable Behaviour Unit (TUBU) began work in August 2020 in order to change workplace behaviours (focussing on staff on staff behaviour) for the better, by providing additional support to managers investigating concerns and ensuring that investigations are carried out fairly and consistently and any unacceptable behaviour is challenged and dealt with appropriately.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 09/05/2023 10:18:31 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1625148

registered interest
date	02/05/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Racial Discrimination
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 assessment of the implications for his policies on outcomes for prisoners from ethnic minority backgrounds of the report by His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales entitled The experiences of adult black male prisoners and black prison staff, published on 13 December 2022.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	183543
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2023 answer text <p>HMPPS take the findings of reports from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons very seriously. We recognise that improving outcomes for Black prisoners and staff will require a long-term commitment from the entire organisation.</p><p> </p><p>A full response, which sets out the detailed actions we will take to address the findings of the HMI Prisons Inspectorate thematic inspection on the Experience of Adult Male Prisoners and Black Staff was published 22 March and can be found via the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thematic-review-of-the-experience-of-adult-male-prisoners-and-black-staff" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thematic-review-of-the-experience-of-adult-male-prisoners-and-black-staff</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 11/05/2023 15:55:59 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1624421

registered interest
date	27/04/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Family Proceedings
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 the adequacy of support available to (a) fathers, (b) mothers and (c) parental guardians going through court proceedings.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	183169
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2023 answer text <p>We are aware of the impact involvement in family court proceedings can have on the fathers, mothers or parental guardians and children involved, which is why this Government is committed to ensuring that all parents can get the support they need to access the justice system across England and Wales.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2015, the Ministry of Justice has invested more than £25 million in support for litigants in person and funding a broad range of free legal support services.</p><p> </p><p>The government announced in March a new £10.4m 'Improving Outcomes Through Legal Support' grant. This grant will run from July 2023 until March 2025 and will be administered by the Access to Justice Foundation on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. The grant will continue to help thousands of people get access to legal support, including from organisations who provide at-court support.</p><p> </p><p>In addition to this, the charity ‘Support Through Court’ offer practical, procedural and emotional support to all parents facing court without legal representation, regardless of their gender or sex. Support Through Court is based at 14 locations in England and Wales, and also offers a national helpline.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to helping more parents resolve their issues earlier and without coming to court, allowing the resources of the family courts to remain focused on the families and children who are most in need of the court’s involvement. In March 2021 the Government launched the Mediation Voucher Scheme. As of April 2023, the scheme has helped over 17,000 families to access mediation and resolve their issues away from the family court. The government invested £3.2m in 2021-22, a further £5.4m in the scheme in the 2022-23 and is investing a further £15m to extend the scheme to April 2025, taking our overall investment up to £23.6m. Following the success of the Voucher Scheme, the Government has recently published a public consultation on how Government can better support parents to resolve their issues earlier and away from the family courts where appropriate. Proposals include fully funded pre-court co-parenting programmes to provide parents and carers with the tools to enable them to reach agreements themselves and continue to care for their child(ren) once separated and a requirement, in appropriate cases, to make a reasonable attempt to mediate before applying to court. The consultation closes on 15 June.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 09/05/2023 16:48:42 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1607961

registered interest
date	27/03/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Sexual Offences: Trials
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate has he made of the number of rape and sexual assault trials which have collapsed as a result of court delays.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	174406
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2023 answer text <p>We publish data on adult rape cases that do not go ahead on the day they are scheduled as 'ineffective trials'. This does not mean that the trials are ‘collapsed’, they are rescheduled and should go ahead at a later date.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 03/04/2023 11:26:44 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1583682

registered interest
date	03/02/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Ministry of Justice: Vehicles
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) fossil fuel-, (b) electric- and (c) hybrid-powered road-legal vehicles their Department purchased in the last 24 months.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	139318
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2023 answer text <p>In the last 24 months, the Ministry of Justice including HMPPS, HMCTS and Arms-Length Bodies (Office of Public Guardian; Parole Board; YJB; CAFCASS; CICA; CCRC; Legal Ombudsman and Office for Legal Complaints; Legal Services Board; Official Solicitor and Public Trustee; Prisons and Probation Ombudsman; Sentencing council for England and Wales; Judicial Appointment Commission; Law Commission; HM Inspectorate of Probation; Judicial Office; Independent monitoring authority; Govt. Facilities service Ltd; Office for Legal Complaints; Assessor of compensation or miscarriage of justice; Victims Commissioner; Advisory Committee for Justice of Peace; Civil Justice Council; Civil procedure rule committee; Criminal procedure rule committee; Family Justice Council; Family Procedure Council; Independent Advisory Panel on deaths in custody; Insolvency Rules Committee; Prison Service Pay Review; Tribunal Procedure Committee; The Wales Office) has purchased the following road legal vehicles: <br></p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Type of Vehicle</p></td><td><p>Total purchased</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Fossil Fuel</p></td><td><p>169</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Electric</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hybrid Powered</p></td><td><p>28</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Vehicle manufacturers are currently unable to offer an electric vehicle that meets with specific requirements needed for specialist vehicles. For example, High security prison vans and National Tactical Response vehicles.</p><p> </p><p>However, the Ministry of Justice remains committed to the achievement of government targets across its car and van fleet to be 0 emissions by the end of December 2027.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 09/02/2023 17:09:29 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi