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1301906

registered interest
date	11/03/2021
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Crown Prosecution Service
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what Departmental oversight is exercised over the decisions of the CPS Complex Casework Units.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	167187
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2021 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Complex Casework Units (CCUs) undertake some of the most complex and serious casework handled by the CPS. A recent report published by Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate (HMCSPI) found that CCUs are staffed by highly dedicated, skilled and professional teams who deliver high quality casework, often in demanding circumstances.</p><p> </p><p>CCUs are overseen through a structure of experienced legal managers including Unit Heads, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutors and Chief Crown Prosecutors. The Report identified evidence of effective and regular meetings and conversations between lawyers and managers about casework. They also identified evidence of national oversight with the referral of relevant cases being made to Headquarters for consideration.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 17/03/2021 17:44:35 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1301912

registered interest
date	11/03/2021
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Administration of Justice: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps he is taking to increase public understanding of the law during the covid-19 outbreak.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	167190
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2021 answer text <p>Public understanding of the law is even more essential during this unique time when individuals are facing unprecedented challenges. Public legal education is vital to help people to understand the law, their rights, and their responsibilities, and I am proud to work closely with the legal and third sector as part of my Public Legal Education Committee to support and promote this work.</p><p> </p><p>The Attorney General’s Office has also recently supported Justice Week this year, delivered digitally at the start of March. It is a testament to the sector’s commitment to supporting the public in times of crisis that pro bono support and public legal education across the country has continued in spite of the COVID-19 outbreak.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 17/03/2021 17:46:40 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1300179

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Packaging: Recycling
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when his Department plans to announce whether (a) food and drink cartons and (b) plastic bags and film will be included in the core set of recyclable products collected by local authorities from 2023.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	164420
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>Following support in response to the first consultation on increasing the consistency materials collected for recycling in England, the Environment Bill states that local authorities must make arrangements for a core set of recyclable waste streams to be collected from households. This core set includes: paper and card; plastic; metal; glass; food waste; and garden waste.</p><p> </p><p>We are preparing to publish a second consultation on recycling consistency this spring, which will seek further views on the materials to be included under the definition of each recyclable waste stream, which will include seeking views on the inclusion of food and drink cartons, and plastic films. We will also seek further views on transition timelines for local authorities in the upcoming consultation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 16/03/2021 13:04:28 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1300180

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Plastics Research and Innovation Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the delivery objectives are of the Plastics Research and Innovation Fund.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	164421
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>The Plastics Research and Innovation Fund (PRIF) was a £20 million investment delivered by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) which began in 2018. Its aim was to explore novel ideas and innovations with the potential to make the plastics sector more circular and address the challenge of persistent plastic pollution. The last PRIF funding competition, Designing Sustainable Plastic Solutions, closed on the 16 September 2020.</p><p> </p><p>The PRIF programme consisted of three components: funding for cutting edge interdisciplinary research programmes led by universities; investment in business-led research and development projects through both grants and an innovative investor partnership with Sky Ocean Ventures; and a core programme designed to provide leadership and knowledge exchange activity.</p><p> </p><p>For more information, please visit: <a href="https://www.ukcpn.co.uk/news/the-plastics-research-and-innovation-fund/" target="_blank">https://www.ukcpn.co.uk/news/the-plastics-research-and-innovation-fund/</a></p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 16/03/2021 13:06:39 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1300181

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
answering body	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept id	13
answering dept short name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
answering dept sort name	Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
hansard heading	Plastics: EU Law
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to extend measures contained in Directive 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on the reduction of the impact of certain plastic products on the environment.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	164422
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>Having left the EU, we now have the freedom to tackle single-use plastic items in ways that work best for us, including considering alternative approaches to the EU’s Single-Use Plastic Directive to deliver a better overall outcome. Where policy areas are devolved, the devolved administrations are taking their own approach.</p><p> </p><p>This year in England we are increasing our highly successful single-use carrier bag charge to 10p and extending it to all retailers, and in April 2022 a new plastic packaging tax will come into force to incentivise businesses to use 30% recycled plastic instead of new material in plastic packaging. We are also taking powers in the Environment Bill to create extended producer responsibility schemes; introduce deposit return schemes; establish greater consistency in the recycling system; better control the export of plastic waste; and give us the power to set new charges for other single-use plastic items.</p> answering member constituency Taunton Deane answering member printed Rebecca Pow question first answered 16/03/2021 13:12:42 answering member 4522 label Biography information for Rebecca Pow
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1300224

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Health Services: Employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the sixteen criteria each position of employment in the central health service is judged upon.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	164423
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/03/2021 answer text <p>We have interpreted the hon. Member’s question to refer to pay and employment criteria in the Hospital and Community Health services sector of the National Health Service, for non-medical staff employed on the national collectively agreed Agenda for Change contract.</p><p>The Agenda for Change pay bands are underpinned by a Job Evaluation Scheme (JES), developed through collaboration between NHS leaders, trade unions and independent job evaluation experts. The JES is a structured method of comparing job demands and seeks to ensure staff receive equal pay for work of equal value.</p><p>The sixteen criteria underpinning the JES are as follows:</p><p>- communications and relationship skills;</p><p>- knowledge, training and experience;</p><p>- analytical and judgemental skills;</p><p>- planning and organisational skills;</p><p>- physical skills;</p><p>- responsibilities for patient/client care;</p><p>- responsibilities for human resources;</p><p>- responsibilities for information resources;</p><p>- responsibilities for research and development;</p><p>- freedom to act;</p><p>- physical effort;</p><p>- mental effort;</p><p>- emotional effort; and</p><p>- working conditions.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Helen Whately question first answered 17/03/2021 10:21:13 answering member 4527 label Biography information for Helen Whately
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1300241

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Crimes of Violence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many violent incidents were recorded in August (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020 in the following prisons (i) Hull, (ii) Humber, (iii) Leeds, (iv) Lindholme, (v) Moorland, Hatfield Woodhouse, South Yorkshire, (vi) Wealstun, near Wetherby, West Yorkshire, (vii) Nottingham, (viii) Ranby, Nottinghamshire, (ix) Wormwood Scrubs, and (x) Isis, south-east London.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	164425
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>The number of assaults in each of the prisons listed for the months requested can be found in the Safety in Custody summary tables available at the following link:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-september-2020" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-september-2020</a>.</p><p>Despite the progress made, the level of violence in prisons remains too high. We are continuing work to address this by giving all staff the tools and training needed to help them reduce violence.</p><p>We are spending £100 million across the estate to bolster prison security, clamping down on the weapons, drugs and mobile phones that fuel violence and crime behind bars.</p><p>We are also giving officers tools like PAVA pepper spray and body-worn cameras to make their jobs safer.</p><p>Violence in prison is a crime and will never be tolerated. Any prisoner who commits an act of violence should expect to have action taken against them, including being imprisoned for far longer.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 16/03/2021 17:32:41 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1300243

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Service: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many officials in the Prison Service have completed a military-style leadership course while in employment.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	164426
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) would not characterise any of its leadership offer as ‘military-style’ and so the answer is none.</p><p>Since 2016 HMPPS has, however, built a successful partnership with the Ministry of Defence Academy, Shrivenham. Fifty-two leaders from across all parts of HMPPS, including the Prison Service, National Probation Service and Youth Custody Service have attended the Command, Leadership and Management course at Shrivenham. This is a one-week stand-alone leadership course which, for the military attendees, is part of a one-year programme.</p><p> </p><p>Breakdown of numbers of HMPPS delegates by year is given below.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number of HMPPS leaders in attendance.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>10</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>25</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>16</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>This has been targeted for those in senior roles (i.e. Prison Governors) or those with the potential to move to this level.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 16/03/2021 17:35:27 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1300362

registered interest
date	08/03/2021
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 many and what proportion of illegal drugs tests were positive in August (a) 2018, (b) 2019, (c) 2020 in the following prisons (i) Hull, (ii) Humber, (iii) Leeds, (iv) Lindholme, (v) Moorland, Hatfield Woodhouse, South Yorkshire, (vi) Wealstun, near Wetherby, West Yorkshire, (vii) Nottingham, (viii) Ranby, Nottinghamshire, (ix) Wormwood Scrubs and (x) Isis, south-east London.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	164427
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2021 answer text <p>Provided below is the number of random mandatory drug testing (MDT) tests, which includes both illegal drugs and misused legal drugs, that were positive, and the proportion of total MDT tests administered in the prisons listed across August of 2018 and 2019:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td colspan="4"><p>Aug-18</p></td><td colspan="5"><p>Aug-19</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Reporting Unit</p></td><td><p>Total number of samples tested</p></td><td><p>No of positives (all drugs)</p></td><td><p>% of positives (all drugs)</p></td><td><p>No of positives (traditional drugs only)</p></td><td><p>% of positives (traditional drugs only)</p></td><td><p>Total number of samples tested</p></td><td><p>No of positives (all drugs)</p></td><td><p>% of positives (all drugs)</p></td><td><p>No of positives (traditional drugs only)</p></td><td><p>% of positives (traditional drugs only)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Hull</p></td><td><p>48</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>15%</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>10%</p></td><td><p>49</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>6%</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>6%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Humber</p></td><td><p>50</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>26%</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td><td><p>52</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>2%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Isis</p></td><td><p>31</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>23%</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>13%</p></td><td><p>32</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>25%</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>25%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Leeds</p></td><td><p>52</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>12%</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>8%</p></td><td><p>54</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>7%</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>7%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Lindholme</p></td><td><p>46</p></td><td><p>18</p></td><td><p>39%</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>15%</p></td><td><p>48</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>10%</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>10%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Moorland</p></td><td><p>48</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>27%</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>8%</p></td><td><p>48</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>8%</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>8%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nottingham</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>17%</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>17%</p></td><td><p>41</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Ranby</p></td><td><p>48</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>33%</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>6%</p></td><td><p>51</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wealstun</p></td><td><p>41</p></td><td><p>13</p></td><td><p>32%</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>15%</p></td><td><p>44</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td><td><p>6</p></td><td><p>14%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wormwood Scrubs</p></td><td><p>60</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>33%</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>28%</p></td><td><p>54</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>7%</p></td><td><p>4</p></td><td><p>7%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>MDT in prisons and young offender institutions seeks to inform HMPPS on the prevalence of drug use through random testing. The key objective of MDT is to provide a means of identifying prisoners with ongoing drug problems and ensure they are offered the appropriate treatment, as well as providing evidence that can be used in prisons disciplinary procedures. MDT is continually reviewed to determine its effectiveness.</p><p> </p><p>Data for the year up to March 2021, including August 2020, will not be quality assured, finalised and published until July 2021, so has not been included in this response. Caution should be taken in drawing conclusions about trends over the requested time period from the outcomes stated above since they are based on a relatively small number of tests in each prison each month, and will be subject to monthly variation.</p><p> </p><p>We have included data on positive tests for traditional drugs only as well as for all drugs, which includes tests for Psychoactive Substances (PS), since the former is more reliable for making comparisons over this time period. This is because positive test results decreased in the 12 months ending March 2020, and to a lesser extent in previous year, and it is highly likely these decreases resulted from new compounds of PS entering into circulation in prisons which HMPPS did not have a legal basis to test for at that time. There were a small number of PS positive results in August 2019 but, because all of these were in samples that also tested positive for one or more traditional drugs, the numbers for ‘all drugs’ and ‘traditional drugs only’ are identical.</p><p> </p><p>We are working with law enforcement and health partners across government to restrict the supply and reduce demand for illicit substances.</p><p> </p><p>In April 2019, we published the National Prison Drugs Strategy and have gone further by investing £100 million to boost security to help stop drugs getting into jails. We continue to progress this work during the Covid-19 pandemic</p><p> </p><p>The Government fully supports the Rt. Hon. Dame Cheryl Gillan’s Prisons (Substance Testing) Bill, which seeks to futureproof drug testing programs in prisons and young offender institutions by adopting a broad definition of PS so that the drug testing framework can quickly respond to new drugs emerging on the market.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 16/03/2021 17:46:11 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1299202

registered interest
date	03/03/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Famagusta: Beaches
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department had with representatives of the Government of Turkey to secure its compliance with UN resolutions on Varosha in Cyprus.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	162577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2021 answer text <p>The UK continues to follow the situation in Varosha with concern. UK Government officials raised the issue with Ankara both before and after the action taken by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots to open up the shoreline of the fenced-off area in October 2020. The Foreign Secretary raised the issue of Varosha during his call with the Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu on 19 November. Additionally, during his trip to Cyprus on 4 February, he raised it with the Turkish Cypriot leader Tatar.</p><p>The UK strongly supports the numerous Security Council Resolutions covering the issue of Varosha, notably 550 (1984) and 789 (1992). The issue underlines the importance of the sides engaging flexibly at forthcoming informal UN talks and reaching a comprehensive Cyprus Settlement as a matter of urgency.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 10/03/2021 10:41:24 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord