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1674985

registered interest
date	04/12/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Pests
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether efforts to eliminate rats, mice and cockroaches in all prisons in England and Wales have been successful, and if not, in how many prisons they still present serious problems.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL794
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2023 answer text <p>We undertake routine planned pest control regimes as part of our existing Facilities Management contracts. Where we encounter higher than normal level of pest infestations, we put in place targeted control measures to eliminate/reduce the particular pests.</p><p>We do not hold a list of the current number of prisons where we have serious infestations. Any/all infestations are dealt with as quickly as possible in order to ensure that we do not have high numbers of sites with serious problems.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy question first answered 18/12/2023 13:06:28 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1437257

registered interest
date	01/03/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Jobcentres and Prisons: CCTV
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) job centres, and (2) prisons, currently use Chinese-made Hikvision and Dahua Technology cameras.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6518
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2022 answer text <p>1) DWP have one Hikvision camera across DWP jobcentres.</p><p>DWP have no Dahua cameras in any jobcentres.</p><p>2) MoJ does not disclose details of our prison security defence capability, including our use of CCTV, for reasons of operational security.</p> answering member printed Lord Wolfson of Tredegar question first answered 18/03/2022 12:30:11 answering member 4901 label Biography information for Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1419336

registered interest
date	02/02/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	National Security: Hong Kong
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Lord Sumption following his comments reported in The Times on 2 February that he would be willing to preside over a National Security Law case in Hong Kong.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL5868
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/02/2022 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Government has not had any discussions with Lord Sumption following his comments being reported in The Times on 2 February.</p> answering member printed Lord Wolfson of Tredegar question first answered 16/02/2022 13:01:06 answering member 4901 label Biography information for Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1403681

registered interest
date	17/01/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal: Judges
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what sum the UK Supreme Court received from the government of Hong Kong in fees for UK judges sitting on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal in (1) 2017, (2) 2018, (3) 2019, and (4) 2020.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL5411
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2022 answer text <p>Serving justices of the UK Supreme Court receive a salary and do not receive any additional fees when sitting on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal pays a fee to the UK Supreme Court. The table below provides details from 2017-2020:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Calendar Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Fee paid to the UK Supreme Court</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>£11,935.08</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>£28,990.57</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>£31,913.70</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>£0 – no UKSC justices sat in 2020</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Airfares for UK Supreme Court justices who sit on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal are booked by and paid for by the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. As such, the UK Supreme Court holds no information about the costs. We do not have information about fees or travel expenses for retired UK judges who sit on the Court.</p> answering member printed Lord Wolfson of Tredegar grouped question UIN HL5412 question first answered 31/01/2022 12:35:57 answering member 4901 label Biography information for Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1403682

registered interest
date	17/01/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal: Judges
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what sum was spent on airfares for UK judges sitting on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal in (1) 2017, (2) 2018, (3) 2019, and (4) 2020.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL5412
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/01/2022 answer text <p>Serving justices of the UK Supreme Court receive a salary and do not receive any additional fees when sitting on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal pays a fee to the UK Supreme Court. The table below provides details from 2017-2020:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Calendar Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Fee paid to the UK Supreme Court</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>£11,935.08</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>£28,990.57</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>£31,913.70</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>£0 – no UKSC justices sat in 2020</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Airfares for UK Supreme Court justices who sit on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal are booked by and paid for by the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal. As such, the UK Supreme Court holds no information about the costs. We do not have information about fees or travel expenses for retired UK judges who sit on the Court.</p> answering member printed Lord Wolfson of Tredegar grouped question UIN HL5411 question first answered 31/01/2022 12:35:57 answering member 4901 label Biography information for Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1359019

registered interest
date	14/10/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Judiciary: Hong Kong
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to institute a further review into the independence of the Hong Kong judiciary, and (2) to assess the viability of UK judges continuing to serve on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL3088
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2021 answer text <p>The National Security Law poses real questions for the rule of law in Hong Kong and the protection of rights and freedoms promised by China in the Joint Declaration. The UK Government remains committed to supporting the principles of the independence of the judiciary and the rule of law in Hong Kong. That is why the government and the serving UK judges who sit on the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal continue to assess the situation closely.</p><p>In line with our most recent assessment, the agreement under which the UK judges have served in Hong Kong since 1997 continues to have our full support.</p> answering member printed Lord Wolfson of Tredegar question first answered 27/10/2021 16:25:46 answering member 4901 label Biography information for Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1303609

registered interest
date	17/03/2021
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that deaths from COVID-19 in prisons in England and Wales rose by 50 per cent in a month in December 2020; what percentage of prisoners have now been vaccinated against COVID-19; and what other measures they have taken to decrease the risk of COVID-19 being transmitted to prisoners and to prison officers
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL14310
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/03/2021 answer text <p>As was the case in the community, infection rates in prisons increased over the winter months which, sadly, led to an increase in deaths where Covid-19 was suspected as being the cause. With a small number of tragic exceptions, we have protected the lives of tens of thousands of staff and prisoners. Our decisive action – backed by Public Health England and Wales - has meant that the number of deaths we have seen in prisons is significantly lower than Public Health England’s Modelling at the start of the pandemic, which said there could be 2,700 deaths from coronavirus in prisons.</p><p> </p><p>As of 18 March 2021, the percentage of the whole prison population in England who have received a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine is 23.4%, equivalent to 79% of the priority cohorts 2-6 (as defined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation). The vaccination programme is making good progress and has recently expanded to start vaccinating those prisoners in priority groups 7 - 9, in line with the wider community.</p><p> </p><p>The safety of our staff and those under our supervision remains a top priority. We have taken preventative measures, such as restricting regimes, minimising inter-prison transfers, and compartmentalising our prisons into different units to isolate the sick, shield the vulnerable and quarantine new arrivals. A comprehensive testing regime is in place, where staff are tested weekly and prisoners are tested on reception and prior to transfer. This is key in helping to prevent the spread of the virus.</p><p> </p><p>Latest published data shows positive evidence that the rate of new infections in custody is now falling substantially.</p> answering member printed Lord Wolfson of Tredegar question first answered 31/03/2021 15:54:50 answering member 4901 label Biography information for Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1279477

registered interest
date	21/01/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Hong Kong: Legal Profession
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the article by Matthew Scott in the Spectator The legal profession’s troubling relationship with China, published on 20 January; and what plans they have to discuss the participation of British lawyers serving as prosecutors in Hong Kong with (1) the Bar Council, (2) the Law Society, and (3) other professional and regulatory bodies.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL12400
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2021 answer text <p>In order to uphold the constitutional principle of the rule of law, and under the framework established by the Legal Services Act 2007, the legal services sector in England and Wales is independent of Government. Barristers are regulated by the Bar Standards Board. The Government has not made any assessment of the article and has no plans to discuss this issue with the legal services professional bodies or regulators.</p> answering member printed Lord Wolfson of Tredegar question first answered 04/02/2021 15:59:13 answering member 4901 label Biography information for Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1252963

registered interest
date	17/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Hearing Impairment
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure that the Judicial Office and Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service assess the needs of hearing impaired users to fully participate in court hearings (1) in person, and (2) remotely, including any advice and guidance provided to the judiciary and court staff.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL10415
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2020 answer text <p>We are committed to ensuring that both physical and remote court hearings are accessible to all our users and that users with hearing loss (of any degree) can fully participate in those hearings.</p><p>HMCTS will provide reasonable adjustments for court and tribunal users with all disabilities (including people with hearing loss) and takes steps to avoid treating people less favourably because of their disability. Court and tribunal users are encouraged to get in touch before any type of hearing to discuss the particular adjustments they may need, to enable individual needs to be met. There are a range of adjustments that can be provided for users with hearing loss, including the provision of auxiliary aids such as hearing enhancement systems, sign language interpreters, or additional support such as regular breaks in a hearing.</p><p>Reasonable adjustment guidance and learning and broader disability guidance is provided to all HMCTS staff for in person hearing and remote hearing. All guidance raises awareness of the issues people with hearing loss may face, and the reasonable adjustments which may help them to fully participate in hearings.</p><p>The Lord Chief Justice (LCJ), the Senior President of the Tribunals, and the Chief Coroner have statutory responsibility for training, under the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007, and Coroners and Justice Act 2009 respectively. Training responsibilities are exercised through the Judicial College.</p><p>The Judicial College ensures training promotes equal treatment by weaving equality issues and case studies into training material, and by providing access to the Equal Treatment Bench Book (ETBB), and learning materials which provide explicit guidance on working with diverse individuals such as those who are hard of hearing.</p> answering member printed Baroness Scott of Bybrook question first answered 01/12/2020 12:53:43 answering member 4553 label Biography information for Baroness Scott of Bybrook
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1252964

registered interest
date	17/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to facilitate in-person court hearings in line with guidance in place during the COVID-19 pandemic; and if so, (1) how, (2) what will be the process for requesting an in-person hearing, and (3) what steps they will take to make relevant bodies aware that safe facilities can be provided.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL10416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2020 answer text <p>HMCTS has in place a range of safety measures and controls, developed in line with and validated against, relevant public health standards to ensure court and tribunal buildings are Covid secure. This has enabled HMCTS to deliver its vital public services, including running in-person hearings, throughout the period affected by pandemic-related restrictions.</p><p>The framework of measures developed and implemented to ensure Covid-related risks are appropriately managed and controlled is set out in the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/936543/HMCTS451_Organisational_Risk_Assessment_A4L_v3.pdf" target="_blank">HMCTS Organisational Risk Assessment</a> . Among the measures embedded across the court and tribunal estate are significantly enhanced cleaning regimes, the provision of washing facilities and sanitiser throughout buildings for users as well as staff and judiciary, social distancing measures implemented, and a requirement for face coverings in all public and communal areas.</p><p>The requirement for social distancing inevitably has had an impact on the capacity to run physical hearings across the court and tribunal estate. HMCTS set out its plan to respond to these challenges in its <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/court-and-tribunal-recovery-update-in-response-to-coronavirus" target="_blank">Recovery Plan</a>. Maximising the use of the existing court and tribunal estate (for example by introducing plexiglass screens into courtrooms and jury suites and considering innovative solutions around adopting different operating hours), as well as increasing that capacity through new Nightingale Courts, is helping HMCTS to list as many physical hearings as possible, but all managed against the framework of Covid-secure controls in place.</p><p>Decisions about the listing and management of hearings are ultimately for the judiciary. In terms of process, participants or representatives are asked to tell the court or tribunal if they need support or cannot participate effectively in a hearing within in any jurisdiction. The Judge can then either change the method of the hearing or reasonable adjustments will be made, wherever possible, to ensure users can participate.</p><p>HMCTS has published, and regularly updates, a full suite of information on its <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-courts-and-tribunals-planning-and-preparation" target="_blank">Covid-secure practices</a>. Weekly updates are now sent direct to a range of key stakeholders, social media tools are routinely used to try to reach ever-wider audiences, and in all court and tribunal venues, clear signage is displayed to promote and explain our safety measures.</p> answering member printed Baroness Scott of Bybrook question first answered 01/12/2020 12:56:46 answering member 4553 label Biography information for Baroness Scott of Bybrook
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool