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1190401

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What plans he has to ensure that courts are able to respond to increases in domestic abuse cases (a) during and (b) after the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Basingstoke
tabling member printed	Mrs Maria Miller
uin	901941
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>Domestic abuse cases are amongst the highest priority work being dealt with by the courts. Domestic Violence Protection Orders and Non-Molestation orders have been placed in the highest category of work in the magistrates’ and family courts, and they continue to be listed for urgent hearings despite the current restrictions.</p><p> </p><p>The magistrates’ courts have been focusing on cases where the defendant is being held in custody, but their work is now being extended to include bail cases where there is a vulnerable victim, such as domestic abuse cases, and these cases are being reviewed by the judiciary.</p><p> </p><p>Domestic abuse cases will continue to be afforded a higher priority as social distancing restrictions are eased after the Covid-19 outbreak.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 27/04/2020 16:49:37 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	1480 label Biography information for Dame Maria Miller

1190402

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What changes are required for the effective operation of courts and tribunals during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
tabling member printed	Mr Toby Perkins
uin	901942
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2020 answer text <p>Access to justice is an essential part of our lives - and I want to pay tribute to all those involved in keeping the wheels of justice turning - the judges, HMCTS staff, and partners throughout the justice system as well as legal professionals, volunteers and others.</p><p>Our priorities are to maintain access to justice – in particular for the most urgent cases such as bail applications and urgent family hearings – and to protect the safety of all who work in the courts and tribunals. To do this, we have already made changes in 5 broad areas:</p><ul><li>Prioritising cases</li><li>Supporting our staff</li><li>Expanding use of video</li><li>Consolidating courts</li><li>Cleanliness</li></ul><p>Despite the exceptional circumstances, our justice system remained ‘open’ to deal with the most vulnerable in society. In France, for example, courts are closed for all but ‘essential litigation’ and Italy is in full lockdown until 4th May.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 28/04/2020 14:44:24 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

1190403

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
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	What steps he is taking to ensure that private (a) prisons and (b) probation contractors are taking appropriate measures in response to the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Ilford South
tabling member printed	Sam Tarry
uin	901943
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>Some contracted prisons are among our best performing establishments and I would like to thank Directors of private prisons for their resolute cooperation during this challenging time. All public and private prisons are aligned and working together during the COVID-19 pandemic, which gives testament to the good function of a mixed economy in prisons.</p><p> </p><p>As with prisons, contracted probation services are running more streamlined delivery models, aligned with the models used by public probation services during the COVID-19 crisis. And we must not forget the good work of other contracted services such as the Electronic Monitoring Service and Prisoner Escort and Custody Service.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 27/04/2020 16:52:47 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4829 label Biography information for Sam Tarry

1190404

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What assessment he has made of the level of compliance with social distancing measures by (a) criminal and (b) civil courts during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Hitchin and Harpenden
tabling member printed	Bim Afolami
uin	901945
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2020 answer text <p>Levels of compliance with social distancing by criminal and civil courts are high. HMCTS are following PHE guidance to ensure that our courts and tribunals support proper social distancing measures for everyone who uses and works in them.</p><p>Working with the judiciary, we have agreed how to prioritise the most urgent cases. For example, in crime we are prioritising cases in custody, in family we are dealing with cases to protect vulnerable children such as Emergency Protection Orders, Interim Care Orders and Issue Resolution Hearings in care proceedings.</p><p>With the judiciary, we have also moved to hear many more cases remotely by telephone or video wherever possible and appropriate – so that people are able to stay at home.</p><p>Jury trials are currently paused for a short time to put appropriate arrangements in place to maintain social distancing for jurors.</p><p>I also want to thank the judiciary for their continued work in courts and tribunals to keep the wheels of justice turning and keeping the public safe during these unprecedented times.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 28/04/2020 14:35:35 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami

1190405

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps his Department is taking to protect the public in response to the temporary release of prisoners during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Ynys Môn
tabling member printed	Virginia Crosbie
uin	901948
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>On 4 April, this Government announced its intention to temporarily release risk-assessed prisoners as part of the national plan to protect the NHS and save lives.</p><p> </p><p>Public protection is our top priority. No high-risk offenders will be considered for release, nor any prisoners who have not served at least half their custodial term. Likewise, no prisoner will be released if they have symptoms of coronavirus or without housing and health support being in place.</p><p> </p><p>Prisoners who pass the stringent criteria for early release will be subject to strict conditions, and will be electronically monitored, including with GPS tags, with the option to recall to prison if necessary.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 27/04/2020 16:54:07 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4859 label Biography information for Virginia Crosbie

1190406

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps his Department is taking to protect the public in response to the temporary release of prisoners during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Redcar
tabling member printed	Jacob Young
uin	901949
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>On 4 April, this Government announced its intention to temporarily release risk-assessed prisoners as part of the national plan to protect the NHS and save lives.</p><p> </p><p>Public protection is our top priority. No high-risk offenders will be considered for release, nor any prisoners who have not served at least half their custodial term. Likewise, no prisoner will be released if they have symptoms of coronavirus or without housing and health support being in place.</p><p> </p><p>Prisoners who pass the stringent criteria for early release will be subject to strict conditions, and will be electronically monitored, including with GPS tags, with the option to recall to prison if necessary.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 27/04/2020 16:55:00 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4825 label Biography information for Jacob Young

1190407

registered interest
date	27/04/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Probation: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What changes his Department plans to make to the operation of probation services during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Warwick and Leamington
tabling member printed	Matt Western
uin	901953
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>Probation is operating under an exceptional delivery model which prioritises public protection and offender management in the community.</p><p> </p><p>Probation officers continue supervising in person those who pose the highest risk ensuring the monitoring of high-risk offenders remains as tough as it always is.</p><p> </p><p>At the same time, we are supervising lower-risk offenders using more frequent video and telephone calls.</p><p> </p><p>We have set up Homelessness Prevention Taskforces to support offenders who are being temporarily released from prison as part of efforts to keep prisons safe during this period. These teams are working with the police to carry out the relevant risk assessments, including checks on domestic abuse and safeguarding issues.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 27/04/2020 16:55:47 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4617 label Biography information for Matt Western

1189278

registered interest
date	22/04/2020
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 progress he has made on installing temporary sleeper pods in prisons to aid the isolating of covid-19 prisoners; how many pods have been ordered; and how long those pods are planned to be used.
tabling member constituency	Hove
tabling member printed	Peter Kyle
uin	38994
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>Creating additional space in the existing estate, alongside measures to limit prisoner movement and releasing low-risk offenders, will help prevent our NHS being overwhelmed.</p><p> </p><p>We began installing the first wave of 500 temporary, single occupancy cells in the week commencing 6 April. So far, 300 units have now been delivered to eight HMPPS sites and installation is in progress. The first 48 were installed at HMP North Sea Camp and we have also installed 24 cells at both HMPs Highpoint and Hollesley Bay. These are undergoing the final operational checks before being occupied. Installation continues at HMPs Littlehey, Moorland/Lindholme, Wymott, Coldingley and Hatfield.</p><p> </p><p>Our ambition is to secure and install 2000 additional cells to help contain the spread of COVID-19 within our prisons. A further 80 single occupancy cells have been confirmed to hire, bringing the total confirmed at 580. We are successfully working with further companies to secure hundreds more to place across the prison estate.</p><p> </p><p>These units are a temporary measure to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. Prisoners will return to their usual accommodation arrangements when safe to do so. Once the units are no longer required they will be removed.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 27/04/2020 16:53:42 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4505 label Biography information for Peter Kyle

1188876

registered interest
date	21/04/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners' Transfers: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have been moved from prisons in England to (a) HMP Berwyn, (b) HMP Cardiff, (c) HMP Parc, (d) HMP Swansea and (e) HMP Usk/Prescoed since the start of the covid-19 lockdown on 23 March 2020.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	38474
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>We are working very closely with Public Health Wales to ensure our approach to the outbreak of Covid-19 is based on the best scientific advice available. It has been agreed that normal transfer processes would be suspended temporarily in order to reduce the opportunities for inter-prison transmission of Covid-19 in Wales. At present, all transfers must be agreed by exception through HM Prison and Probation Service’s command structure.</p><p> </p><p>Since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown on 23<sup>rd</sup> March, 11 prisoners and Young Persons have transferred from prisons in England to prisons in Wales. Due to the size of the data we are not able to provide a breakdown by prison.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 27/04/2020 16:32:23 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1188878

registered interest
date	21/04/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many inmates will be temporarily released from (a) HMP Berwyn, (b) HMP Cardiff, (c) HMP Parc, (d) HMP Swansea and (e) HMP Usk/Prescoed as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
uin	38476
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>In Wales, HM Prison and Probation Service has engaged directly with Welsh Government, local authorities, police, Public Health Wales and local health boards to plan for the release of individuals. In addition, we have established a multi-agency Homelessness Prevention Taskforce to ensure that accommodation issues do not unduly delay the potential release programme and ensure seamless integration of support services such as substance misuse, health and mental health ‘through the gate’.</p><p> </p><p>No offender will be released early without housing and healthcare support being in place. We have issued comprehensive instructions for the process of risk assessing those suitable for discharge under the early release scheme and the management of their discharge. This includes accommodation, police, probation checks as well as the risk management process, pre-release, licence conditions for the End of Custody Temporary Release and standard release, enforcement and electronic monitoring. The number of prisoners who will be temporarily released from Welsh establishments has not been finalised while risk assessments are carried out and support for individuals is arranged.</p><p> </p><p>The Government has agreed that individuals released through the early release scheme will be eligible for Universal Credit (UC) and the associated housing benefit element, where required. Therefore, for those in receipt of UC, the cost of accommodating individuals during this period will be covered through housing benefit. Additionally, where accommodation is secured, which is not eligible for housing benefit, or for which the costs are not fully covered by housing benefit, then HMPPS will cover the cost of the accommodation until the normal end of custody release date.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer grouped question UIN 38477 38478 question first answered 27/04/2020 16:44:28 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts