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1698712

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2024
	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: Labour Turnover
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to help increase the retention rate of staff in HM Prison and Probation Service.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	902217
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/03/2024 answer text <p>Safe, decent, rehabilitative prisons require excellent and experienced staff, as does supervising offenders in the community to keep the public safe.</p><p>We want them to stay in the Prison Service and to support retention, we have:</p><ul><li><p>Accepted every penny of the Prisons Service PRB pay recommendations for 2023/24.</p></li><li><p>Injected extra funding of more than £155 million a year since 2021 to support Probation staff to deliver more robust supervision.</p></li><li><p>Rolled out BWV to every officer, to help protect staff by defusing volatile situations.</p></li><li><p>Introduced a New Colleague Mentor scheme to help new recruits feel supported in their early weeks and months.</p></li></ul><p>Retention for prison officers is improving, with the staff resignation rate dropping from around 10.7% to around 8.3% over the last year to December 2023.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 27/03/2024 13:05:24 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1646522

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2023
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoners' Release
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support his Department provides to prisoners who are released following imprisonment for public protection sentences; and whether that support is tailored to each prisoner.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	190619
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2023 answer text <p>All those serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence in the community on licence have an individual, bespoke risk management plan which outlines how they will be managed and supported. The Probation Service works with other statutory and community agencies to ensure the required support is in place, whether that be in relation to accommodation, employment or health needs. A probation officer will hold regular supervision sessions with the offender, to discuss progress and identify any further support needed.</p><p> </p><p>The IPP Action Plan, now fully reviewed and updated, will provide the best opportunities for those serving an IPP sentence in prison to progress towards a safe and sustainable future release and help those serving the IPP sentence on licence in the community to navigate the challenges they face and to work towards applying successfully, once eligible, to have their licence terminated. The Plan is accessible via the following link: <a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/39321/documents/192968/default/" target="_blank">Letter from the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice on the Imprisonment for Public Protection Action Plan (parliament.uk)</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Data on the IPP population, including the number of those remaining is prison are routinely published as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 190620 190621 question first answered 26/06/2023 15:24:41 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1646523

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2023
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison Sentences
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to take steps to review the cases of people who are imprisoned under imprisonment for public protection sentences.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	190620
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2023 answer text <p>All those serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence in the community on licence have an individual, bespoke risk management plan which outlines how they will be managed and supported. The Probation Service works with other statutory and community agencies to ensure the required support is in place, whether that be in relation to accommodation, employment or health needs. A probation officer will hold regular supervision sessions with the offender, to discuss progress and identify any further support needed.</p><p> </p><p>The IPP Action Plan, now fully reviewed and updated, will provide the best opportunities for those serving an IPP sentence in prison to progress towards a safe and sustainable future release and help those serving the IPP sentence on licence in the community to navigate the challenges they face and to work towards applying successfully, once eligible, to have their licence terminated. The Plan is accessible via the following link: <a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/39321/documents/192968/default/" target="_blank">Letter from the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice on the Imprisonment for Public Protection Action Plan (parliament.uk)</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Data on the IPP population, including the number of those remaining is prison are routinely published as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 190619 190621 question first answered 26/06/2023 15:24:41 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1646524

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2023
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prison Sentences
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people who were given imprisonment for public protection sentences remain imprisoned.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	190621
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2023 answer text <p>All those serving an Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) sentence in the community on licence have an individual, bespoke risk management plan which outlines how they will be managed and supported. The Probation Service works with other statutory and community agencies to ensure the required support is in place, whether that be in relation to accommodation, employment or health needs. A probation officer will hold regular supervision sessions with the offender, to discuss progress and identify any further support needed.</p><p> </p><p>The IPP Action Plan, now fully reviewed and updated, will provide the best opportunities for those serving an IPP sentence in prison to progress towards a safe and sustainable future release and help those serving the IPP sentence on licence in the community to navigate the challenges they face and to work towards applying successfully, once eligible, to have their licence terminated. The Plan is accessible via the following link: <a href="https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/39321/documents/192968/default/" target="_blank">Letter from the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice on the Imprisonment for Public Protection Action Plan (parliament.uk)</a>.</p><p> </p><p>Data on the IPP population, including the number of those remaining is prison are routinely published as part of the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterly</a>.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds grouped question UIN 190619 190620 question first answered 26/06/2023 15:24:41 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1355889

	registered interest
	date	14/09/2021
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Refugees: Afghanistan
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will set out the eligibility criteria for resettlement under the (a) Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and (b) Afghan citizens resettlement programme; when the Afghan citizens resettlement programme will open to applicants; and for what reason that programme is not yet open to applicants.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	50013
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2021 answer text <p>On Monday 13 September, I announced the details of the Government’s response to the situation in Afghanistan, and the effort to support Afghans resettling to the UK, in a statement to Parliament. Further information on the eligibility criteria for the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) is set out in the policy statement published on gov.uk, available at: <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-resettlement-and-immigration-policy-statement</a>.</p><p>This statement confirms that there will not be a formal application process for the ACRS. Instead, eligible people will be prioritised and referred to the UK. Some of those who arrived in the UK under the evacuation programme, which included individuals who were considered to be at particular risk – including women’s rights activists, prosecutors and journalists, will be the first to be resettled under the ACRS.</p><p>We are working urgently to stand up the remaining elements of the scheme, amid the complex and changing picture.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 21/09/2021 16:08:37 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1339520

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2021
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Computers: Common Law
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to review the common law presumption of the reliability of computers.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	21220
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2021 answer text <p>I refer the Honourable member to the answers given to PQ 69550 on 9 July 2020 and PQ 72206 on 20 July 2020 on this subject. We have no plans to review the presumption, as it has wide application and is rebuttable if there is evidence to the contrary.</p><p> </p><p>Nonetheless, Government wants to be fully assured that there is a public summary of the failings associated with Post Office Ltd’s Horizon IT system and that lessons are learnt from this dispute. That is why the Inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT dispute has been converted into a statutory enquiry with effect from 1 June 2021, with new powers to require the production of evidence and documents. The full, updated Terms of Reference for the Inquiry are available on the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-office-horizon-it-inquiry-2020/terms-of-reference" target="_blank">Post Office Horizon IT inquiry 2020 ToR</a> page, and on gov.uk.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 02/07/2021 13:51:49 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1277770

	registered interest
	date	18/01/2021
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Ministry of Justice: Databases
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many information gateways there are in operation in his Department; and how those gateways are managed and monitored.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	138976
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2021 answer text <p>Effective management of information is critical to the smooth running of the justice system, and the department takes its management and monitoring very seriously. Revealing details of the department’s monitoring capabilities in public would likely prejudice their capability and effectiveness, and the department’s ability to preserve those systems. In order to safeguard processing systems, we are unable to provide the information requested.</p><p>Memoranda of Understanding and Information Sharing Agreements are in place as required and assessed for the required data protection clauses and adequate safeguarding of information. The checks and approval process are carried out in a centralised privacy tool which also stores the final version. The department has initiated a renewed programme of training aimed at those with roles with significant elements of dealing with personal information. All staff are required to take part in information handling training.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 26/01/2021 15:35:28 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1226630

	registered interest
	date	20/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Probation: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the oral answer of the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice, of 14 July 2020, Official Report, column 1367, how much of the £100 million announced for the future probation system will be spent on (a) rehabilitative, (b) resettlement, (c) education and (d) employment services.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	76697
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/07/2020 answer text <p>As part of plans for the future probation system set out by the Lord Chancellor on 11 June 2020, it was confirmed that HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) will operate a Probation Services Dynamic Framework to commission rehabilitation and resettlement services in England and Wales. These services will sit alongside other provision by HMPPS, such as prison-led resettlement support, as well as provision by other government departments.</p><p> </p><p>Our initial estimate, as referenced by the Minister of State in her oral answer on 14 July 2020, was that the total value of contracts to be commissioned through the Probation Services Dynamic Framework would exceed £100m per year once the system reached a steady state.</p><p> </p><p>The following table sets out the indicative proportion of overall Dynamic Framework contract value for each service to be procured, using estimates for Financial Year 2024/25 as representative of steady state spend:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p><strong>Sum of Lot 1: Accommodation services</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Sum of Lot 2.1 Finance, Benefits and Debt services</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Sum of Lot 2.2 Education, Training and Employment services</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Sum of Lot 3: Dependency and Recovery services</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Sum of Lot 4: Family, Lifestyle and Wellbeing services</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Sum of Lot 5: Women services</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>% of indicative Dynamic Framework contract value</p></td><td><p>9%</p></td><td><p>9%</p></td><td><p>11%</p></td><td><p>15%</p></td><td><p>43%</p></td><td><p>13%</p></td><td><p>100%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>Lot 4 includes a separately-commissioned contract for support to Young Adults in Wales only.</p><p> </p><p>This is drawn from data made available to prospective bidders in July 2020. All values provided are indicative only and subject to change. They should not be viewed as confirmation of contract values, Call-Off term or actual volumes. It should be noted that for some lots, they may be co-commissioned with other partners, and some of these co-commissioned services may be procured through an alternative procurement route than the Probation Services Dynamic Framework. This particularly applies to the Finance, Benefit &amp; Debt and Dependency &amp; Recovery lots. It is not possible to provide either:</p><p> </p><p>a) the proportion of contract value expected to derive from resettlement activity to support individuals leaving prison, as distinct from support for individuals serving a community sentence; or</p><p>b) the proportion of contract value expected to derive from education support as distinct from employment support.</p><p> </p><p>This is because these values will depend on the outcome of the procurement process, the nature of the services delivered and future volumes of activity.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 28/07/2020 13:24:25 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1222828

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	ICT
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 9 July 2020 to Question 69550 on ICT, for what reason his Department determined that the wide application means the presumption in law that computer systems are working properly is unsuitable for review in light of the changes since 1999 in the (a) design, (b) operation and (c) ubiquity of computer systems.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	72206
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>The common law presumption of correct functioning of a computer is rebuttable if there is evidence to the contrary. In such circumstances it is for the party seeking to produce the computer record in evidence to satisfy the court that the computer was working properly at the material time.</p><p>We cannot ignore the impact that the dispute over the Horizon Accounting System has had on the postmasters affected and it is vitally important that the Government ensures that lessons are learned from the handling of this case. That is the purpose of the Review announced by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. However, there is nothing to suggest at this stage that a change is needed in the common law presumption which is relied upon to conduct banking and other financial transactions and legal proceedings in many other cases.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 20/07/2020 16:04:07 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1221106

	registered interest
	date	06/07/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	ICT
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for the 1999 presumption in law that computer systems are working properly of the (a) changes since 1999 in the design, operation and ubiquity of computer systems and (b) Post Office Horizon scandal.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	69550
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/07/2020 answer text <p>We do not intend to review the presumption as it has wide application. However, it is impossible to ignore the impact that the dispute over the Horizon Accounting System and the subsequent litigation process has had on the postmasters affected. Post Office Limited (POL) has accepted that it got things wrong in the past in its dealings with a number of postmasters and has apologised.</p><p>This Government is committed to ensuring that this apology is only the start of a process that leads to real change in the Post Office so that this situation can never be repeated.  That is the purpose of the Independent Review that Minister Paul Scully MP announced on Wednesday 10 June. The Government wants to be fully assured that the right lessons are learned for the future and concrete changes have taken place at Post Office Limited.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 09/07/2020 16:21:43 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah