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1691360

registered interest
date	23/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Administration of Justice
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to assess the potential vulnerability of people prosecuted under the single justice procedure.
tabling member constituency	Caerphilly
tabling member printed	Wayne David
uin	15409
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2024 answer text <p>The Government does not intervene in individual cases, including Single Justice Procedure (SJP) cases, which are a matter for the independent judiciary.</p><p> </p><p>SJP is used by a number of approved prosecutors. It is a more proportionate way of dealing with straightforward, uncontested, summary-only non-imprisonable offences. The prosecuting body cannot choose this route for any case which falls outside of these criteria. SJP also cannot be used in cases where a defendant pleads not guilty.</p><p> </p><p>Where a guilty plea is submitted, defendants are able to enter mitigating circumstances, if they wish, alongside their guilty plea, to be considered by the magistrate dealing with their case. Cases where defendants have not responded to a notification that they are being prosecuted may also be dealt with under the SJP.</p><p>For prosecutors, guilty pleas and any entered mitigation are available on the system for them to review as soon as the plea is received online, or as soon as scanned into the system if received by post, however, prosecutors are not required to view this.</p><p> </p><p>Often the defendants’ circumstances and any potential vulnerability are not known until they provide their mitigation. Any mitigation provided under SJP is considered by the magistrate in the same way that it would be in open court. Although prosecutors decide whether to offer defendants the option of having their case dealt with under the SJP, magistrates may refer a case to open court if they think that would be more appropriate rather than continuing under the SJP.</p><p> </p><p>The mitigation provided sometimes suggests that the prosecution may not be in the public interest; a magistrate can then adjourn the case and ask the prosecution to review the mitigation. Alternatively, the magistrate can reduce the penalty imposed and even deal with the case by way of a conditional or absolute discharge. Guidance for magistrates on mitigating factors is provided in the sentencing guidelines.</p><p> </p><p>Support channels are also available to defendants who require clarification of information and processes ranging from web chat or telephone assistance to more intensive face-to-face assistance.</p><p> </p><p>The Government keeps all policies under review and listens to feedback from stakeholders on how they are working.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 28/02/2024 16:55:39 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	1398 label Biography information for Wayne David

1691361

registered interest
date	23/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Administration of Justice
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of cases under the single justice procedure were not progressed to prosecution because they were deemed to not be in the public interest due to the vulnerability of defendants in each year since 2021.
tabling member constituency	Caerphilly
tabling member printed	Wayne David
uin	15410
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2024 answer text <p>Whilst information on the number of Single Justice Procedure (SJP) cases withdrawn or dismissed is available, we do not hold information on the number of prosecutions not progressed due to not being in the public interest due to the defendants' vulnerability.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 28/02/2024 16:47:46 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	1398 label Biography information for Wayne David

1691362

registered interest
date	23/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Administration of Justice
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of cases under the single justice procedure were stopped by magistrates as not being in the public interest in each year since 2021.
tabling member constituency	Caerphilly
tabling member printed	Wayne David
uin	15411
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2024 answer text <p>Magistrates have no powers to stop a prosecution on the grounds that it is not in the public interest. A magistrate can refer a case back to the prosecutor and request that they review their decision to prosecute. We do not hold any data on the number of times that this occurs. Alternatively, the magistrate can reduce the penalty imposed and even deal with the case by way of a conditional or absolute discharge. Guidance for magistrates on mitigating factors is provided in the sentencing guidelines.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 28/02/2024 16:59:22 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	1398 label Biography information for Wayne David

1691364

registered interest
date	23/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Administration of Justice
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) support and (b) information is available to defendants who are prosecuted under the single justice procedure if they believe their prosecution is not in the public interest.
tabling member constituency	Caerphilly
tabling member printed	Wayne David
uin	15412
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2024 answer text <p>It is down to the prosecutor to decide whether the prosecution is in the public interest. The defendant can seek independent legal advice if they wish to.</p><p> </p><p>There are several safeguards built into the Single Justice Procedure (SJP) process to ensure a defendant’s fair trial rights are protected. Defendants retain the right to request a court hearing at any point before their case is considered by a magistrate under the SJP. SJP is available where they waive that right, either expressly, or by failing to respond to the notice, but only in circumstances where the court has first satisfied itself that the relevant documents were served on the accused.</p><p> </p><p>HMCTS provides support channels to defendants who require clarification of information and processes in relation to the SJP ranging from web chat or telephone assistance to more intensive face-to-face assistance via our Courts &amp; Tribunals Service Centre and the ‘We Are Group’ which provides digital support, advice and support.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 28/02/2024 16:54:05 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	1398 label Biography information for Wayne David

1691377

registered interest
date	23/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Ministry of Justice: Equality
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff in their Department have job titles that include the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT and (f) race.
tabling member constituency	Harborough
tabling member printed	Neil O'Brien
uin	15471
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2024 answer text <p>It would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold to ascertain the facts across the Ministry of Justice and its 35 public bodies.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer grouped question UIN 15749 question first answered 04/03/2024 13:01:29 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4679 label Biography information for Neil O'Brien

1691381

registered interest
date	23/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Mobile Phones
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many illicit mobile phones were found in prisons in (a) England and (b) Wales in each year since 2019.
tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
uin	15445
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/02/2024 answer text <p>Mobile phones are a key enabler for prisoners to engage in criminality which impacts into both prisons and the community including drug supply, violence and harassment of victims and witnesses.</p><p> </p><p>MoJ’s £100 million Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including reducing the smuggling of illicit items such as mobile phones, was completed in March 2022. This investment delivered 75 additional X-ray body scanners resulting in full coverage across the closed adult male estate. As of October 2023, we have recorded 46,925 positive indications, helping to tackle the smuggling of mobile phones and other contraband into prisons.</p><p> </p><p>The number of mobile phones found in prisons in England and Wales is published in the HMPPS Annual Digest through the Finds in Prison Tables: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64c143b41e10bf000e17cf9e/8.__Finds.ods" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/64c143b41e10bf000e17cf9e/8.__Finds.ods</a>. Table 8.3 provides the number of mobile phones found per prison in England and Wales.</p><p> </p><p>Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that the data has been drawn from large scale administrative systems, and as such is subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 29/02/2024 16:51:09 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1691383

registered interest
date	23/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison and Probation Service: Managers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the management structure is of the counter corruption unit in HM Prison and Probation Service; and how many people there are at each (a) grade and (b) specialism in the management structure.
tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
uin	15446
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2024 answer text <p>Our Counter-Corruption Unit proactively detects, disrupts and deters activities of those suspected of wrongdoing. The unit supports prisons and probation services, with specialist staff working alongside the police to support their investigations.</p><p>The table below provides the total target staffing figure by each grade:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Grade</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Band 10</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Band 9</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Band 8</p></td><td><p>12.28</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Band 6</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Band 5</p></td><td><p>61</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Band 4</p></td><td><p>60</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Band 3</p></td><td><p>10</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>All staff within the management structure have counter corruption specialism.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 04/03/2024 13:22:39 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1691389

registered interest
date	23/02/2024
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, how many hours of compulsory corruption prevention training are undertaken by new prison officers during their basic training.
tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
uin	15447
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/02/2024 answer text <p>All newly recruited prison officers receive a total of 8 hours of counter corruption training during their initial foundation training.</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 Basic Security Awareness and Counter Fraud, Bribery &amp; Corruption. The Civil Service Expectations training package is also included on this platform which covers corruption, and is required learning for all HMPPS employees.</p><p> </p><p>HMPPS have introduced a security investment programme that supports and strengthens staff resilience to corruption and provides ongoing awareness training for all staff</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 29/02/2024 16:49:50 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1691392

registered interest
date	23/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Drugs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how often were drug-dogs used to search prison staff in the last 48 months.
tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
uin	15448
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2024 answer text <p>Searches may be carried out randomly, or may be undertaken in response to intelligence received.</p><p>As the requested information is not collated centrally, it could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 28/02/2024 16:57:36 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury

1691393

registered interest
date	23/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Bribery
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners were (a) charged and (b) convicted of bribing prison staff in the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Brentford and Isleworth
tabling member printed	Ruth Cadbury
uin	15449
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2024 answer text <p>The vast majority of prison staff are hardworking and dedicated. A minority of staff engage in corrupt activity which is often as a result of conditioning and manipulation by prisoners.</p><p> </p><p>HM Prison &amp; Probation Service has a zero-tolerance policy on corruption, and take appropriate action to the small number of staff and prisoners who break the rules. Our £100 million Security Investment Programme, aimed at reducing crime in prisons, including reducing the number of staff being manipulated and conditioned by prisoners, is ongoing. This includes increased resource to pursue corruption, as well as established a new ‘Prevent’ function, aimed at building staff resilience against corruption.</p><p> </p><p>The Counter Corruption Unit data setup is based on corrupt staff and whilst prisoner details are recorded, we are not able to access this without checking individual records. It would be at a disproportionate cost to check individual records to provide an answer to this question.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 28/02/2024 16:56:46 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4389 label Biography information for Ruth Cadbury