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1715175

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison Officers: Vacancies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department have made a risk assessment of prison officer vacancies in the Long Term High Security Estate.
	tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
	tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
	uin	24485
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>We closely monitor staffing levels across the estate via a number of internal governance forums, which assess the vacancy levels for individual prisons and across regions and functions, including the Long Term High Security Estate (LTHSE). Vacancies are one of a number of contributory factors that determine HMPPS' assessment of risk and stability within prisons. We will always ensure that prisons are sufficiently staffed to deliver safe and secure regimes. Where establishments feel that their staffing levels will affect stability or regime, including because of vacancies, there are a number of ways they can maximise the use of their own resource and seek support from other establishments in the short term, through processes managed nationally at Agency level. These include overtime payments and support via Detached Duty staff from other prisons.</p><p> </p><p>We are continuing recruitment activity at all sites with a current or future need, including in the LTHSE. Nationally, we have seen a substantial improvement in the national staffing picture within prisons over the past year. The number of Band 3-5 prison officers increased by 1,634 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) between December 2022 and December 2023, and resignation rates have fallen over the same period. This is the result of significant efforts across the agency, including substantial increases in pay for staff, our first-ever nationwide advertising campaign, incentivized recruitment schemes where we incentivised applicants to relocate to ‘harder-to-staff’ sites, and the Prison Officer Alumni Network, where we have fast-tracked former staff back into the service.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 07/05/2024 11:24:44 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1715010

	registered interest
	date	30/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Asylum: Rwanda
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the speech entitled Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s statement on the plan to stop the boats, published by the Prime Minister’s office on 22 April 2024, what the evidential basis is for the statement that the judiciary have identified 150 judges who could provide over 5,000 sitting days to deal with challenges to the removal of asylum seekers from the UK under the provisions of the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Aberavon
	tabling member printed	Stephen Kinnock
	uin	24250
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>The Illegal Migration Act 2023 (IMA) provides for First-tier Tribunal judges to be deployed to sit in the Upper Tribunal to hear IMA appeals. As the Lord Chancellor set out in his Written Ministerial Statement of 16 January 2024: “The judiciary have identified relevant judges, which could provide over 5,000 additional sitting days. The decision on whether to deploy additional judges temporarily to the Upper Tribunal, including when they sit and the courtrooms they use, is for the independent judiciary and will be taken by the relevant leadership judges at the time and in the interests of justice”.</p><p>It is standard practice not to comment on discussions between Ministers and the judiciary. However, the Ministry of Justice is working closely with the judiciary in preparation for implementation of the Illegal Migration Act and I refer you to the Lord Chancellor’s Written Ministerial Statement of 16 January 2024, which addressed the topic (<a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-01-16/hcws188" target="_blank">https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-01-16/hcws188</a>).</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer grouped question UIN 24251 question first answered 07/05/2024 14:20:53 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock

1715011

	registered interest
	date	30/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Asylum: Rwanda
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the (a) Lady Chief Justice and (b) Senior President of Tribunals on the deployment of judges to deal with cases specifically related to the Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Act 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Aberavon
	tabling member printed	Stephen Kinnock
	uin	24251
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>The Illegal Migration Act 2023 (IMA) provides for First-tier Tribunal judges to be deployed to sit in the Upper Tribunal to hear IMA appeals. As the Lord Chancellor set out in his Written Ministerial Statement of 16 January 2024: “The judiciary have identified relevant judges, which could provide over 5,000 additional sitting days. The decision on whether to deploy additional judges temporarily to the Upper Tribunal, including when they sit and the courtrooms they use, is for the independent judiciary and will be taken by the relevant leadership judges at the time and in the interests of justice”.</p><p>It is standard practice not to comment on discussions between Ministers and the judiciary. However, the Ministry of Justice is working closely with the judiciary in preparation for implementation of the Illegal Migration Act and I refer you to the Lord Chancellor’s Written Ministerial Statement of 16 January 2024, which addressed the topic (<a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-01-16/hcws188" target="_blank">https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-01-16/hcws188</a>).</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer grouped question UIN 24250 question first answered 07/05/2024 14:20:54 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4359 label Biography information for Stephen Kinnock

1715019

	registered interest
	date	30/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Young Offender Institutions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average number of hours spent out of their cell by inmates was on (a) weekdays and (b) weekend days in each young offender institution in March 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Lewisham East
	tabling member printed	Janet Daby
	uin	24323
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>The information requested regarding average time-out-of-room spent by children and young people in young offender institutions during March 2024 is shown in the table below.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Cookham Wood</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Feltham</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Parc</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Werrington</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Wetherby</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Weekdays</strong></p></td><td><p>3:39</p></td><td><p>4:54</p></td><td><p>8:48</p></td><td><p>4:29</p></td><td><p>5:36</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Weekends</strong></p></td><td><p>2:39</p></td><td><p>4:20</p></td><td><p>6:22</p></td><td><p>3:06</p></td><td><p>3:50</p></td></tr></tbody></table></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>We know the importance of ensuring that time in custody is purposeful and are committed to ensuring that children and young people have the necessary and appropriate access to education, skills, and work provision with a consistent daily programme of activities.</p><p>The Youth Custody Service is reviewing regime models and staff deployment to maximise time out of room, creating as open a regime as it is safe to do so, as well as providing education and enrichment for those who cannot safely be in a classroom setting.  Additionally, work done to reduce conflict and manage behaviour, to increase the size of groups who are mixing in the regime, has increased time out of room.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 07/05/2024 14:12:56 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4698 label Biography information for Janet Daby

1714760

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Restraint Techniques: Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if his Department will end the use on children of (a) the inverted wrist hold and (b) other pain-inducing restraints.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	24034
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2024 answer text <p>The syllabus for training staff in under-18 young offender institutions and the secure training centre in Managing and Minimising Physical Restraint (MMPR) focuses exclusively on behaviour management and restraint.</p><p>It is essential that staff are trained for every aspect of their role, including in techniques they may need to use to prevent serious physical harm to a child or adult. Staff will continue to be trained in the safe use of pain-inducing techniques, as part of a separate package of interventions for use only in situations where that is the only means of preventing serious physical harm.</p><p>Any response must be necessary, reasonable, and proportionate in view of the risk of harm which is present. All instances where a pain-inducing technique is used are subject to detailed scrutiny by on site MMPR Coordinators, as well as by members of the Independent Restraint Review Panel.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 02/05/2024 08:37:06 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1713823

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Convention on the International Protection of Adults and Mental Capacity
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department is taking steps to support people who have lasting power of attorney for an individual who has been assessed as lacking mental capacity with accessing funds held outside the UK; and if he will take steps to ratify the Hague Convention of 13 January 2000 on the International Protection of Adults.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Lloyd Russell-Moyle
	uin	23777
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/05/2024 answer text <p>There are existing ways in which a Property and Financial Affairs Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) made in England and Wales under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 can be accepted abroad for the purpose of accessing funds. A certified copy of the LPA, signed off by a notary public with an apostille (a special sealed certificate) attached by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides one method. Alternatively, a translation of the LPA can be formally recognised by the appropriate court of the country in which funds are held.</p><p> </p><p>Although the UK has ratified the 2000 Hague Convention on the International Protection of Adults in respect of Scotland, we have not yet done so in relation to England and Wales or Northern Ireland. However, in respect of England and Wales, the majority of its provisions are contained in Schedule 3 of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. Schedule 3 provides a framework for recognition and enforcement of ‘protective measures’ such as LPAs in the place of an individual’s habitual residence.</p><p> </p><p>We recognise the importance of ratifying the 2000 Hague Convention, as this will bring about international co‐operation to deal with the affairs of individuals across member states. We will progress this work when legislative time allows.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 03/05/2024 12:02:19 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4615 label Biography information for Lloyd Russell-Moyle

1713915

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Criminal Proceedings
	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 average time taken for (a) drug dealing, (b) domestic violence, (c) GBH, (d) domestic burglary and (e) theft cases to be completed in court in each year since 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Mitcham and Morden
	tabling member printed	Dame Siobhain McDonagh
	uin	23669
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>We have interpreted waiting time to refer to the time between the date of first hearing at the magistrates’ court to completion of the case at the Crown Court.</p><p> </p><p>The median number of days from first listing to completion at the Crown Court for a) drug dealing, b) GBH, c) domestic burglary, d) theft cases offences has been provided in the attached table. To note, Crown Court data is only available from 2014 onwards and domestic violence offences cannot be separately identified as they are not defined as such in legislation.</p><p> </p><p>While the Crown Court is still recovering from the impact of the pandemic and disruptive action from the Bar which reduced our ability to hear cases swiftly, the latest published statistics show, across all cases currently in the outstanding caseload, the median age for those cases was around 6 months.</p><p>We are committed to ensuring the delivery of swift justice for all victims and have introduced a raft of measures to achieve that aim. This includes funding around 107,000 sitting days during the most recent financial year (FY23/24), recruiting up to 1,000 judges annually across all jurisdictions and investing in the continued use of 20 Nightingale courtrooms into this financial year (FY24/25) to allow the courts to work at full capacity.</p><p> </p><p>Judges do prioritise cases involving vulnerable complainants and witnesses, and seek to ensure that domestic abuse, serious sexual offences and those with vulnerable witnesses are listed at the first available opportunity.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 07/05/2024 14:16:51 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer attachment 1 file name 2024-05-07 PQ 23669 Table.xlsx title Table
	tabling member	193 label Biography information for Dame Siobhain McDonagh

1713957

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Children: Maintenance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time taken is for a child maintenance case to come before a tribunal.
	tabling member constituency	Shrewsbury and Atcham
	tabling member printed	Daniel Kawczynski
	uin	23712
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 07/05/2024 14:18:39 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	1566 label Biography information for Daniel Kawczynski

1713964

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Synthetic Cannabinoids
	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 (a) the detection of and (b) testing methods for synthetic cannabinoids in the prison estate; and what steps he is taking to improve effectiveness in these areas.
	tabling member constituency	Easington
	tabling member printed	Grahame Morris
	uin	23726
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>All prisons have a zero-tolerance approach to drugs, and we are highly aware of the threat synthetic drugs present. In response, HMPPS has developed capabilities to drug test prisoners who are suspected to have used, or are at risk of using, these dangerous substances. In addition, all prisons have been provided with access to forensic testing of items seized or found within the estate.</p><p> </p><p>Our drug testing contract enables us to deliver key commitments in the cross-Government drug strategy such as: testing of offenders who receive a Drug Rehabilitation Requirement, the pilot of Intensive Supervision Courts, and increased flexibility to test for a broader range of drugs.</p><p> </p><p>Our £100 million Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including reducing the conveyance of illicit items such as drugs, was completed in March 2022. This investment delivered 75 additional X-ray body scanners, resulting in full coverage across the closed adult male estate. Under this programme, all public sector sites have also been provided with next-generation drug trace detection machines. This technology enables prisons to detect attempts to convey drugs, including synthetic cannabinoids, into prisons. The equipment is effective in identifying synthetic cannabinoids that have been soaked onto letters, clothing and other items.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 07/05/2024 11:21:52 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	3973 label Biography information for Grahame Morris

1713458

	registered interest
	date	24/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	War Memorials: Vandalism
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been convicted of criminal damage to war memorials in the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	23374
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/05/2024 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice publishes information on the number of defendants prosecuted and sentencing outcomes for criminal damage offences across the last 5 years, in the <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65bd0675704282000d752143/outcomes-by-offence-june-2023.xlsx" target="_blank">Outcomes by Offence data tool: June 2023</a>.</p><p>However, for criminal damage offences, the specific target of the criminal damage is not recorded in the Court Proceedings Database and so it is not possible to distinguish criminal damage to memorials from wider criminal damage. This information may be held on court records but to examine individual court records would be of disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris question first answered 03/05/2024 09:47:42 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes