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1196325

registered interest
date	15/05/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral evidence given by the Minister of State for Justice to the Justice Select Committee on the 12 May 2020, (a) by and (b) from what date Public Health England has recommended that the prison population should be reduced by 5000-5500 prisoners to reduce the risk of further covid-19 infections; and by what date the Government plans to have reduced the prison population by that amount.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	47226
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2020 answer text <p>The Public Health England briefing paper on the prison population management strategies in response to Covid-19 was published on 27 April and is available on GOV.UK (link <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-population-management-strategy-for-prisons" target="_blank">here</a>).</p><p> </p><p>That paper recognises the positive effect that HMPPS’s compartmentalisation strategy has in containing the spread of the virus within establishments, alongside other measures. HMPPS has assessed that to fully implement the compartmentalisation strategy requires around 5000-5,500 prison places. This is being delivered through a range of means, including a reduction in the population, support for early release schemes, expediting of remand cases, and expansion of the estate.</p><p> </p><p>The assessment of how to operationalise the compartmentalisation strategy is an iterative piece of work and we are working closely with colleagues across the whole of the criminal justice system, including with Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, to understand the effects of renewed court activity and the potential impact this may have on the prison population. Any decisions on the next steps in prisons will follow advice from the NHS and Public Heath England and Public Health Wales alongside an operational assessment of what can be achieved in custodial settings with a range of public health control measures in place.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 47227 47228 question first answered 20/05/2020 11:46:07 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1196326

registered interest
date	15/05/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral evidence given by the Minister of State for Justice to the Justice Select Committee on the 12 May 2020, if he will publish the advice from Public Health England in respect of reducing the prison population by 5000-5500 prisoners.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	47227
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2020 answer text <p>The Public Health England briefing paper on the prison population management strategies in response to Covid-19 was published on 27 April and is available on GOV.UK (link <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-population-management-strategy-for-prisons" target="_blank">here</a>).</p><p> </p><p>That paper recognises the positive effect that HMPPS’s compartmentalisation strategy has in containing the spread of the virus within establishments, alongside other measures. HMPPS has assessed that to fully implement the compartmentalisation strategy requires around 5000-5,500 prison places. This is being delivered through a range of means, including a reduction in the population, support for early release schemes, expediting of remand cases, and expansion of the estate.</p><p> </p><p>The assessment of how to operationalise the compartmentalisation strategy is an iterative piece of work and we are working closely with colleagues across the whole of the criminal justice system, including with Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, to understand the effects of renewed court activity and the potential impact this may have on the prison population. Any decisions on the next steps in prisons will follow advice from the NHS and Public Heath England and Public Health Wales alongside an operational assessment of what can be achieved in custodial settings with a range of public health control measures in place.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 47226 47228 question first answered 20/05/2020 11:46:07 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1196327

registered interest
date	15/05/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts and Prisons: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral evidence given by the Minister of State for Justice to the Justice Select Committee on the 12 May 2020, what (a) assumptions in respect of the (i) timing and (ii) speed at which criminal court proceedings would resume following the covid-19 outbreak and (b) other assumptions informed the advice from Public Health England on reducing the prison population by 5000-5500 prisoners.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	47228
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2020 answer text <p>The Public Health England briefing paper on the prison population management strategies in response to Covid-19 was published on 27 April and is available on GOV.UK (link <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-population-management-strategy-for-prisons" target="_blank">here</a>).</p><p> </p><p>That paper recognises the positive effect that HMPPS’s compartmentalisation strategy has in containing the spread of the virus within establishments, alongside other measures. HMPPS has assessed that to fully implement the compartmentalisation strategy requires around 5000-5,500 prison places. This is being delivered through a range of means, including a reduction in the population, support for early release schemes, expediting of remand cases, and expansion of the estate.</p><p> </p><p>The assessment of how to operationalise the compartmentalisation strategy is an iterative piece of work and we are working closely with colleagues across the whole of the criminal justice system, including with Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, to understand the effects of renewed court activity and the potential impact this may have on the prison population. Any decisions on the next steps in prisons will follow advice from the NHS and Public Heath England and Public Health Wales alongside an operational assessment of what can be achieved in custodial settings with a range of public health control measures in place.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 47226 47227 question first answered 20/05/2020 11:46:07 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1195479

registered interest
date	13/05/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Remand in Custody: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Youth Justice Statistics, England and Wales, April 2018 to March 2019, published on 30 January 2020, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies on the use of remand for children of the finding that 66 per cent of children given a remand to youth detention accommodation did not subsequently receive a custodial sentence.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	46583
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2020 answer text <p>The decision on whether a child should be remanded into custody is a matter for our independent judiciary. We are clear that custody, including custodial remand, should always be used as a last resort for children, and the remand framework ensures the court considers all other options, including bail and remand into local authority accommodation, before remanding a child to custody.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently undertaking work to consider the use of youth custodial remand and in due course we aim to identify options to reduce the numbers of children remanded to custody where appropriate, while ensuring victims and the public are protected.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 22/05/2020 09:14:53 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1195482

registered interest
date	13/05/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Coronavirus
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 effect of the covid-19 outbreak on the accessibility of (a) physical and (b) mental healthcare provision in prisons and other custodial facilities due to (i) staff absence and (ii) redeployment of healthcare resources; and what assessment he has made of the level of reported anxiety among prisoners due to extended period of confinement to cells during the outbreak.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	46586
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2020 answer text <p>The Government takes the health of prisoners very seriously. NHS England commission healthcare in prisons and the Ministry of Justice is working with health partners to continually monitor the health and wellbeing of people in prisons and other custodial facilities during COVID-19. COVID-19 presents a unique set of challenges that we must address to keep prisoners safe. To mitigate these, we are operating a National Response Model in prisons, and working very closely with public health authorities to ensure our approach is based on the best scientific advice available.</p><p> </p><p>Detail regarding the redeployment of healthcare staff and resources is not held by the MoJ and should be requested from NHS England. However, people in prison continue to be given access to services including health services, telephone contact with loved ones and, where possible, time in the open air. We are also taking further action to support the mental and physical wellbeing of people in custody.</p><p> </p><p>We continue to make the Samaritans phone service available, and are working with the Samaritans to ensure that the Listener peer support scheme continues to function effectively. To address anxiety and boredom, we are also providing distraction packs and in cell activities and providing time in the open air where possible. We are continuing to provide care and support to people at risk of self-harm or suicide through ACCT (Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork) case management. For those with severe mental health issues, we are doing everything we can to ensure that the process for transfer to hospital continues in as normal a way as possible.</p><p> </p><p>Measures are also being taken to protect prisoners with particularly vulnerable physical health from COVID-19. Prisoners identified in accordance with NHS guidance as being ‘extremely vulnerable’ to COVID-19 are being proactively considered for release from custody under existing Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) provisions. Where a prisoner falling within this category is considered not suitable for release, they will continue to be appropriately shielded within custody.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 22/05/2020 09:16:05 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1195484

registered interest
date	13/05/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Remand in Custody: Children
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 proportions of the unconvicted children held on remand in youth detention accommodation during 2019 who were remanded to that accommodation on the basis of consideration of each of the following sets of conditions, with reference to the Youth Court Bench Book published in August 2017: (a) 31 a, b, ci, di; (b) 31 a, b, ci, dii; (c) 31 a, b, cii, di; (d) 31 a, b, cii, dii; (e) 32 a, b, c, di, ei, fi; (f) 32 a, b, c, di, ei, fii; (g) 32 a, b, c, di, eii, fi; (h) 32 a, b, c, di, eii, fii; (i) 32 a, b, c, dii, ei, fi; (j) 32 a, b c, dii, ei, fii; (k) 32 a, b, c, dii, eii, fi; and (l) 32 a, b, c, dii, eii, fii.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	46588
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2020 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes the number of unconvicted children on remand (including in youth detention accommodation), which can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2018</a>. Figures for 2019 will be published later in May.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice does not centrally hold data on reasons why children are held on remand.</p><p> </p><p>The decision on whether a child should be remanded into custody is a matter for our independent judiciary. We are clear that custody, including custodial remand, should always be used as a last resort for children, and the remand framework ensures the court considers all other options, including bail and remand into local authority accommodation, before remanding a child to custody.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently undertaking work to consider the use of youth custodial remand and in due course we aim to identify options to reduce the numbers of children remanded to custody where appropriate, while ensuring victims and the public are protected.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 22/05/2020 09:27:03 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1195485

registered interest
date	13/05/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Remand in Custody: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of unconvicted children held on remand during 2019 who were denied bail on the basis of (a) the child’s own welfare or protection, (b) the child already being in custody serving a sentence, (c) there being insufficient information relating to the case, (d) the child already having been on bail during the proceedings and having been arrested for breach of those bail conditions, and (e) it being impracticable to complete enquiries or make a report unless the child is in custody.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	46589
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2020 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes the number of unconvicted children on remand, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2018</a>. Figures for 2019 will be published later in May.</p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice does not centrally hold data on the reasons why children are held on remand or why they were refused bail.</p><p> </p><p>The decision to grant or refuse bail is a matter for our independent judiciary. There is a general presumption to bail in criminal proceedings, but there are exceptions to this. The remand framework ensures the court considers all options, including bail and community remand options, before a remand into custody would be considered.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently undertaking work to consider the use of youth custodial remand and in due course we aim to identify options to reduce the numbers of children remanded to custody where appropriate, while ensuring victims and the public are protected.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 22/05/2020 09:29:21 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1195486

registered interest
date	13/05/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Coronavirus
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 potential effect on prisoner (a) discipline and order issues, (b) self-harm and (c) suicides on the custodial estate due to the continuation of covid-19 lockdown measures on the custodial estate while lockdown measures are being relaxed in the wider community.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	46590
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2020 answer text <p>COVID-19 presents a unique set of challenges to maintaining safety in custody.</p><p> </p><p>We have taken temporary measures to restrict prison regimes and cease all non-essential activities involving groups of people. This includes social visits, education, non-essential work, association, and access to the gymnasium.</p><p> </p><p>However, prisoners are given access to essential services including meals, showers, telephone contact with loved ones, access to health services, and time in the open air where possible.</p><p> </p><p>This does unfortunately mean that prisoners will spend more time in their cells, which we recognise may increase the risk of self-harm or violence. We have provided guidance to Governors on the risks of isolation on both self-harm and violence and a range of materials have been provided to help mitigate this risk, including distraction packs and in-cell activities.</p><p> </p><p>In recognition of the positive impact that family contact can have in terms of a prisoners’ mental health, we have provided locked mobile handsets for those without in-cell telephony. Additionally, we are extending the ‘email a prisoner’ facility to all sites. Following a successful trial at HMP Berwyn, we are rolling out secure video calls to 10 other institutions this week, with a wider roll-out in the coming weeks. Time-limited calls will be made either by prisoners making a call request to their designated contact or by families who can request a time slot through a mobile app or directly with the establishment.</p><p> </p><p>The increased access to phones will also facilitate access to the Listener scheme run by the Samaritans.</p><p> </p><p>These measures are part of the nationwide efforts to control the virus and save lives. We will regularly review these restrictions taking into account the best public health advice and the impact of any changes on the safety and stability of prisons.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 22/05/2020 09:31:24 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1195487

registered interest
date	13/05/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department intends to publish a roadmap for transitioning out of the COVID-19 lockdown measures within the custodial estate in England and Wales.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	46591
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p>As the Prime Minister has set out in his announcement on Sunday 10 May, we will be living with COVID-19 for some time. Prisons are a closed setting with many vulnerable individuals so it is important that we proceed cautiously. Any roadmap for transitioning out of the COVID-19 lockdown measures within the custodial estate in England and Wales requires close engagement across the whole of the criminal justice system, including with Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, to understand the effects of renewed court activity and the potential impact this may have on the prison population. This work has already begun and we will keep Parliament informed of progress.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing our work to install temporary accommodation units across the estate which will help us to complete the compartmentalisation strategy, which includes the reverse-cohorting of new admissions to isolate them from the rest of the prison for 14 days to reduce the risk of infection being brought into the prison. Nearly 500 such units have already been delivered across the estate, with plans in place for the installation of the next 500.</p><p> </p><p>Any decisions on the next steps in prisons will follow advice from the NHS and Public Heath England and Public Health Wales alongside an operational assessment of what can be achieved in custodial settings with social distancing advice. We will report publicly with more information in due course.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 46592 46593 question first answered 18/05/2020 14:47:02 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1195488

registered interest
date	13/05/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Coronavirus
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 effect of increased court activity resulting from the easing of covid-19 lockdown restrictions on the size of the prison population in England and Wales in the next six months.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Ms Lyn Brown
uin	46592
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/05/2020 answer text <p>As the Prime Minister has set out in his announcement on Sunday 10 May, we will be living with COVID-19 for some time. Prisons are a closed setting with many vulnerable individuals so it is important that we proceed cautiously. Any roadmap for transitioning out of the COVID-19 lockdown measures within the custodial estate in England and Wales requires close engagement across the whole of the criminal justice system, including with Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service, to understand the effects of renewed court activity and the potential impact this may have on the prison population. This work has already begun and we will keep Parliament informed of progress.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing our work to install temporary accommodation units across the estate which will help us to complete the compartmentalisation strategy, which includes the reverse-cohorting of new admissions to isolate them from the rest of the prison for 14 days to reduce the risk of infection being brought into the prison. Nearly 500 such units have already been delivered across the estate, with plans in place for the installation of the next 500.</p><p> </p><p>Any decisions on the next steps in prisons will follow advice from the NHS and Public Heath England and Public Health Wales alongside an operational assessment of what can be achieved in custodial settings with social distancing advice. We will report publicly with more information in due course.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 46591 46593 question first answered 18/05/2020 14:47:02 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown