We fully recognise the importance of family contact for those in custody in line with the recommendations of Lord Farmer\u2019s Reviews. This is why following the necessary suspension of prison visits in March, to keep prisoners, their families and staff safe during the pandemic, we introduced a range of measures. We rolled-out more than 1,200 secure mobile PIN phone handsets which are being used to contact family and friends, bolstered support for the Prisoner\u2019s Families Helpline and introduced secure video calls which are currently operating in over 100 prisons across England and Wales, including all female and youth establishments.<\/p>
We published arrangements for the recommencement of face-to-face social visits in the National Framework for Prison Regimes and Services, and visits recommenced in early July, in an adapted, Covid-secure manner. Currently most prisons have now commenced physical visits.<\/p>
Currently, up to two adults and two children are permitted to visit for a minimum of 45 minutes in prisons where it is safe to do so. Guidance on visits protocols for each prison, including steps we are taking to keep visitors safe, is published on GOV.UK<\/a> at the following link:<\/p>
<\/p><\/td> | 2014-2015<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2015-2016<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2016-2017<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2017-2018<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2018-2019<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 2019-2020<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr> Convictions<\/p><\/td> 29<\/p><\/td> 32<\/p><\/td> 32<\/p><\/td> 37<\/p><\/td> 7<\/p><\/td> 6<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Non-Convictions<\/p><\/td> 17<\/p><\/td> 21<\/p><\/td> 12<\/p><\/td> 13<\/p><\/td> 5<\/p><\/td> 2<\/p><\/td><\/tr> Total<\/p><\/td> 46<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 53<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 44<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 50<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 12<\/strong><\/p><\/td> 8<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table> <\/p> Between 2014 \u2013 15 and 2017 \u2013 18, this data included cases that included the forced marriage flag on the CPS\u2019s case management system as well as cases charged as forced marriage. In 2018 \u2013 19, the CPS conducted quality assurance checks on the guidance for applying the forced marriage flag. The data for that year does not include flagged cases but only cases charged as a forced marriage offence. The most recent data (2019 \u2013 20) includes flagged cases but reflects the updated guidance on applying the flag which has resulted in improved accuracy.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4538", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Keen of Elie"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-08-03", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-08-03T13:26:48.38Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "88"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Attorney General"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Forced Marriage: Prosecutions"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prosecutions were initiated in relation to forced marriage in (1) 2014, (2) 2015, (3) 2016, (4) 2017, (5) 2018, and (5) 2019; and how many such prosecutions were successful in each year.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4308", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "The Lord Bishop of St Albans"}
], "uin" : "HL7247"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1227864", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1227864/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The pilot for the book a video link service (BVLS) went live at HMP Wandsworth and all associated courts on 31 March 2020. It has now completed, and we are gathering data and feedback from users in both prisons and courts. This will be shared with partners and stakeholders in due course. Early indications suggest the BVLS has been positively received. Once the feedback exercise has been completed in the autumn, we will consider rolling out the BVLS at further sites.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4538", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Keen of Elie"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-08-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-08-05T14:32:07.45Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Wandsworth Prison: Video Conferencing"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the pilot at HMP Wandsworth of the video link booking system developed by the Ministry of Justice to allow both prison and court users to book slots with the Video Conference Centre to minimise the need to interact via telephone or emails has been completed; what lessons have been learned from that pilot to date; and what plans they have to publish any such lessons.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4207", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Wasserman"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Wasserman"}
], "uin" : "HL7250"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1227887", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1227887/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Video Enabled Justice Programme was a Home Office funded initiative and independent of HMCTS and the Judiciary. The Programme was sponsored by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex. Its focus was on video enabled remand hearings and live links for police witnesses. Researchers from the University of Surrey were commissioned by the Police and Crime Commissioner to undertake an evaluation of the Programme.<\/p> The evaluation looked at the new video and digital equipment installed at Medway Magistrates Court and seven custody suites across Kent together with the impact of the digital equipment and the conduct of participants in video enabled and non-video remand hearings.<\/p> The findings were shared with interested parties in the final report published in May 2020. No conclusions were intended to be drawn as to the suitability of scaling the Programme outside of the pilot areas.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4538", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Keen of Elie"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-08-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-08-05T15:05:56.703Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Remote Hearings"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government whether (1) Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service and (2) the judiciary, have evaluated the Video Remand Hearings, Summary and Crown Court trials and Prison to Court Video Links developed by the Video Enabled Justice Programme led by the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner and currently operating in Kent, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey and Sussex; and, if so, whether they have concluded that it is suitable to be rolled out nationally.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4207", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Wasserman"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Wasserman"}
], "uin" : "HL7251"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1227700", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1227700/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Based on prison population data as at 30 June 2020, the prison population of England and Wales includes (1) 2,660 prisoners over 65 years old, (2) of whom 1,497 prisoners are over 70 years, and (3) 671 prisoners are over 75 years old.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4538", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Keen of Elie"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-08-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-08-04T14:49:25.08Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2020-07-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Prisoners' Release: Older People"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government by how much the prison population of England and Wales would decrease if prisoners (1) over 65 years old, (2) over 70 years old, and (3) over 75 years old, were released.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2018", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Hylton"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Hylton"}
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