Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1698022

registered interest
date	21/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Reoffenders
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what is their strategy for ensuring public safety and efficacious offender management in respect of hyper-prolific offenders.
tabling member printed	Lord Jackson of Peterborough
uin	HL3516
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2024 answer text <p>For the most persistent and problematic offenders in the community, Integrated Offender Management has received a 3-year investment of up to £30 million to ensure those that commit burglary, robbery and theft offences receive robust cross-agency supervision by Police and Probation, and to commission services that will seek to support and address risks and needs of this cohort. We are also piloting three Intensive Supervision Courts which aim to target the root cause of offending behaviour through supervision and interventions delivered by a multi-agency team, overseen by a single judge who will regularly review each participant’s progress.</p><p>The courts have a wide range of options to deal with this group of offenders and relevant previous convictions are a statutory aggravating factor which the courts must consider at the point of sentencing. While custody will often be appropriate for these offenders, and in fact is the most common sentence given to prolific offenders, it is right that our courts have the ability to pass an appropriate sentence based on the case in front of them. Robust research has shown lower reoffending rates for sentences served in the community when compared to short custodial sentences.</p><p>Through the Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme, we are also taking steps to understand better which factors are most important in leading to reduced reoffending for prolific offenders, in order to help us target our approach for this cohort.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy question first answered 09/04/2024 09:27:16 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	1551 label Biography information for Lord Jackson of Peterborough

1698023

registered interest
date	21/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Overcrowding
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the early release of prisoners with a custodial sentence of less than 12 months, in order to alleviate overcrowding in the prison estate, on (1) reoffending rates, (2) public safety and (3) the operational effectiveness of the Probation Service.
tabling member printed	Lord Jackson of Peterborough
uin	HL3517
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2024 answer text <p>Delivering public protection and reducing reoffending is not just about custody. The Probation Service plays a vital role in protecting the public and reducing reoffending. For some less serious offenders, suspended and community sentences are more effective for rehabilitation.</p><p>Community requirements can help to deter reoffending, drive swift consequences for non-compliance, protect the public, and ensure offenders feel the weight of crime. Probation assess an offender’s risk prior to, and throughout sentences, to ensure that offenders are appropriately monitored and supervised, following robust risk assessment measures to ensure public safety.</p><p>Evidence shows that 55% of people given a custodial sentence of less than 12 months are convicted of further offences. For offenders punished with Suspended Sentence Orders with requirements that are served in the community, the reoffending rate is significantly lower at 24%. That is why we are introducing a presumption to suspend sentences of under 12 months, however judges will still be able to exercise their discretion to impose custody in exceptional circumstances. We have also included exemptions to the presumption where there is a significant risk of harm to an individual or where the offender has breached an order of the court, as is the case for many repeat and prolific offenders.</p><p><br> We know there are existing challenges and will be additional demands on the Probation Service as a result of the presumption to suspend short sentences. That is why we have increased funding for the Probation Service by an additional £155 million a year to recruit record levels of staff so that we can bring down caseloads and deliver better and more consistent supervision of offenders in the community. We continue to accelerate recruitment of Probation Officers, with over 4,000 trainees joining the service since 2020 and an overall increase in staffing levels across the board. We are also resetting probation to prioritise early engagement and supervision in the first two-thirds of an offender’s sentence, a critical period during which probation staff can have the greatest impact on public protection and reducing reoffending.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy question first answered 09/04/2024 09:31:28 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	1551 label Biography information for Lord Jackson of Peterborough

1698024

registered interest
date	21/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Construction
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to expand the built prison estate to account for the estimated population increases to 2035 and beyond.
tabling member printed	Lord Jackson of Peterborough
uin	HL3518
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2024 answer text <p>We are delivering 20,000 additional, modern prison places, the largest prison build programme since the Victorian era, ensuring the right conditions are in place to rehabilitate prisoners, helping to cut crime and protect the public. These places are being delivered through the construction of six new prisons, as well as the expansion and refurbishment of the existing estate and temporary accommodation. To date, we have delivered c.5,900 of these places and are on track to have delivered c.10,000 by the end of 2025.</p><p>In October 2023, the Lord Chancellor announced funding of up to £30 million to start acquiring land that will be required for future prison capacity.</p><p>The Department has taken a number of steps to identify land for potential prison sites. We have commissioned a property agent to search the market for land in the North West and South East, our areas of greatest forecast demand for prison places; officials have started discussions with significant private and public sector landowners and continue to assess a shortlist of sites for planning risk and strategic and operational fit. In parallel, officials are engaged in strategic conversations with local and regional leaders to identify areas where communities would welcome the economic and employment benefits of a new prison.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy question first answered 09/04/2024 09:33:54 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	1551 label Biography information for Lord Jackson of Peterborough

1698025

registered interest
date	21/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Accommodation and Sentencing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have commissioned any research on a causal link between (1) an expansion of prison places and more custodial sentences, and (2) a reduction in violent and other serious crime episodes in a given period of time.
tabling member printed	Lord Jackson of Peterborough
uin	HL3519
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2024 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has not commissioned research looking directly at any causal link of the kind mentioned in the question. However, the MoJ continues to carefully monitor the use of the prison estate and the sentencing framework to ensure that the most serious offenders are appropriately punished, and that the public are kept safe.</p><p>That is why we are embarking on the largest expansion of our prison estate since the Victorian era, investing £4 billion toward the delivery of 20,000 additional, modern places. By the end of 2025, we are on track to have delivered around 10,000 places in total.</p><p> </p><p>Reducing crime and protecting the public, however, is not only about increased custody. Evidence shows that 55% of people given a custodial sentence of less than 12 months go on to be convicted of further proven offences in the following 12 months. For offenders punished with Suspended Sentence Orders with requirements that are served in the community, the reoffending rate is significantly lower at 24%. That is why we are introducing a presumption to suspend sentences of under 12 months. However, judges will still be able to exercise their discretion to impose custody in exceptional circumstances. We have also included exemptions to the presumption where there is a significant risk of harm to an individual or where the offender has breached an order of the court, as is the case for many repeat and prolific offenders.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy question first answered 09/04/2024 09:38:47 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	1551 label Biography information for Lord Jackson of Peterborough

1697286

registered interest
date	19/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Feltham Young Offender Institution
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP/YOI Feltham, published on 12 March; and in particular, the finding that violence in classrooms and workshops has made young prisoners reluctant to attend education and rehabilitation sessions.
tabling member printed	Baroness Redfern
uin	HL3416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2024 answer text <p>We are grateful to the Independent Monitoring Board for its report, and for the vital work its members undertake to monitor the welfare of prisoners, to ensure that they are properly cared for. The report comments on the impact of staffing challenges affecting the regime at both HM/YOI Feltham A (young people under 18) and HMP/YOI Feltham B (adults and young adults over 18), as well as on the suitability of the education programmes available.</p><p>Since the end of the period covered by the Independent Monitoring Board’s report (1 September 2022- 31 August 2023), the staffing position at Feltham A has improved, and it now has the resources in place to provide a safe and productive regime for young people, with increased time-out-of-room.</p><p>The Youth Custody Service (YCS) has commissioned a resource review across all four public sector young offender institutions, to explore opportunities to make better use of the staff available in the current operating environment. This includes looking at the balance between management and frontline supervisory staff. The first review was at Feltham A in 2023, and a delivery plan following this review will be implemented shortly. The YCS will monitor the impact of this on service delivery. Support is also being provided at Feltham A to aid staff retention; sickness absence monitoring, with appropriate support, is a feature of regular management oversight.</p><p>The report of an Independent Review of Progress at Feltham B, conducted by HM Inspectorate of Prisons in January 2024, found that the prison had made reasonable progress in relation to encouraging positive behaviour. In addition, following a resource and risk assessment review, improved arrangements for purposeful activity are being put in place, to support the aim of reducing re-offending and increasing readiness for work, to help prisoners to gain employment upon release.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy question first answered 03/04/2024 12:58:04 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	4551 label Biography information for Baroness Redfern

1697307

registered interest
date	19/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to update the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
tabling member printed	Lord Blunkett
uin	HL3361
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/04/2024 answer text <p>This government has recently reviewed and made significant changes to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 amended the ROA to significantly reduce the length of time that someone needs to disclose most criminal records. These reforms will improve access to employment, which we know is a key factor in supporting rehabilitation and enabling former offenders to reintegrate into the community. Serious violent, sexual, or terrorist offences are excluded from these changes and continue to never be spent.</p><p>Where a person has a conviction disclosed, we are clear that this should not be an automatic bar to employment. Our guidance for employers states that they should make a balanced judgment on whether someone’s convictions make them unsuitable for a particular job. This should take into account the person’s age at the time of the offence, how long ago it took place, the nature of the offence and its relevance to the position in question, among other factors.</p><p>The ROA is kept under review. There are no current plans to make further changes, but please see further the answer I gave on 4 April to Question <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-03-19/hl3362" target="_blank">HL3362</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy question first answered 04/04/2024 15:13:52 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	395 label Biography information for Lord Blunkett

1697309

registered interest
date	19/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Court of Protection
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what was the reason for the decision to increase the length of the COP3 assessment of capacity form from 12 to 21 pages.
tabling member printed	Lord Blunkett
uin	HL3363
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2024 answer text <p>Court of Protection forms are a matter for the judiciary. The Court of Protection Rules Committee in 2022 convened an expert Working Group to review the COP3 assessment of capacity form, supported by my officials. That group recommended substantial revisions to both the format and content.</p><p>Revisions were made to reflect the outcome of a Supreme Court case (Local Authority v JB), and more broadly to improve the form’s evidential value. While longer than its predecessor, the revised form aims to provide for a more rigorous assessment of a person’s capacity and greater scrutiny of each specific decision to be made on their behalf. The Rules Committee approved those revisions, and the revised form was published in July 2023.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy question first answered 03/04/2024 12:56:32 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	395 label Biography information for Lord Blunkett

1697327

registered interest
date	19/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Civil Proceedings: Third Party Financing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government, following the announcement on 4 March of the establishment of an inquiry into third party litigation funding, when they expect to announce the terms of reference, the members of the inquiry panel and the timing of the review.
tabling member printed	Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts
uin	HL3398
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2024 answer text <p>The Lord Chancellor has invited the Civil Justice Council, the body responsible for overseeing and co-ordinating the modernisation of the civil justice system, to undertake a review of third-party litigation funding in England and Wales. The CJC has agreed to undertake the review and will be announcing terms of reference and other information shortly.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy question first answered 03/04/2024 12:55:51 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	1651 label Biography information for Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts

1696354

registered interest
date	14/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Shoplifting: Sentencing
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the Sentencing Code with regard to shoplifting.
tabling member printed	Lord Swire
uin	HL3300
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2024 answer text <p>We know there has been a worrying rise in shoplifting, which we need to address.</p><p>Police Recorded Crime figures show shoplifting offences increased by 32% in the 12 months to September 2023. However, the number of people charged with shoplifting offences in the same period rose by 34%, showing that Police are heeding the message.</p><p>The publication of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Retail Crime Action Plan, published in October 2023, includes a commitment to prioritise police attendance at the scene where violence has been used towards shop staff, where an offender has been detained by store security, and where evidence needs to be secured and can only be done by police personnel.</p><p>Additionally, where CCTV or other digital images are secured, police will run this through the Police National Database as standard using facial recognition technology to further aid efforts to identify prolific offenders or potentially dangerous individuals.</p><p>The plan also includes guidance for retailers on what response they can expect from their local police, as well as how retailers can assist the police by providing evidence to help ensure cases are followed-up.</p><p>October also saw the launch of Pegasus, a unique private-public partnership that will radically improve the way retailers are able to share intelligence with policing, to better understand the tactics used by organised retail crime gangs and identify more offenders. This will include development of a new information sharing platform and training for retailers.</p><p>The Sentencing Code is a consolidation of existing sentencing procedure law. It brings together over 50 pieces of primary legislation relating to sentencing procedure into one single piece of legislation, in the Sentencing Act 2020. It includes general provisions relating to sentencing procedure, the different types of sentences available to the courts, and certain behaviour orders that can be imposed in addition to a sentence. Since the Sentencing Act came into force, it has been amended following changes to the law relating to sentencing procedure. The Code is not designed, however, to apply to specific offences.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy question first answered 28/03/2024 12:44:51 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire

1695969

registered interest
date	13/03/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Overcrowding
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of, and what action they are taking to reduce, overcrowding in prisons in England and Wales.
tabling member printed	The Marquess of Lothian
uin	HL3254
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2024 answer text <p>In prisons where we have crowding in place, a rigorous cell certification process is undertaken that ensures the use of cells is subject to formal assessment of safety and decency.</p><p>We continue to pursue the package of longer-term measures the Lord Chancellor announced on 16 October 2023 to reform the justice system and continue to address the prison capacity challenges. The measures include: the extension of the Early Removal Scheme, introducing a presumption to suspend sentences of 12 months or less, curtailing the licence period for IPP sentences and extending the use of Home Detention Curfew. On 11 March, the Lord Chancellor announced the next steps in our plan, to allow us to go further and faster in removing foreign national offenders (FNOs). This includes expediting prisoner transfers with our priority partners such as Albania, and the creation of a new taskforce across the Home Office and Ministry of Justice to change the way we process FNO cases radically.</p><p>To meet pressing demand, we are building c.20,000 modern, rehabilitative prison places – the biggest prison build programme since the Victorian era. We have already delivered c.5,900 of these, including through our two new 1,700 places prisons, HMP Five Wells and HMP Fosse Way, and c.590 Rapid Deployment Cells across 11 sites. By the end of 2025, we are on track to have delivered around 10,000 places in total.</p><p>The Government will continue to monitor the evolving situation with demand for prison places carefully, so that we can make sure we have the right approaches in place to maintain the capacity required for a safe and effective criminal justice system.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy question first answered 26/03/2024 17:23:52 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	259 label Biography information for The Marquess of Lothian