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

100038

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Mental Health Services
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government which prisons in England and Wales will include a new specialist mental health centre as part of their health care provision.
tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
uin	HL2244
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Justice Secretary has recently announced that he has agreed with the Secretary of State for Health that our officials work together to ensure that any prisoner can have mental health treatment equivalent to the best they would receive in the community.</p><p> </p><p>Officials are currently drawing up options for the scope of this work, including consideration of specialist mental health centres within the prison estate. Until these options have been developed, I am unable to say what form they may take and in which prisons they may operate.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 04/11/2014 15:15:37 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

100051

registered interest
date	21/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Suicide
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they propose to take in relation to the growth in the number of suicides in prisons in the light of the observations of the Prison Service Ombudsman’s description of the deaths as "utterly unacceptable", as reported in <i>The Guardian</i> on 18 October.
tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
uin	HL2257
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Every death in custody is a tragedy, and the Government is committed to reducing the number of self-inflicted deaths in prisons. All prisons are required to have procedures in place to identify, manage and support people who are at risk of harm to themselves. These procedures include the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) process, which is a prisoner-centred, flexible care planning system for prisoners identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm. Prisons are also required to ensure that they have procedures in place to learn from deaths in custody to prevent future occurrences.</p><p> </p><p>We are working hard to understand the reasons for the recent rise in the number of self-inflicted deaths, but there is no simple explanation. Additional resources and support are being provided for safer custody work in prisons, and in particular to improve the consistency of the ACCT system. The National Offender Management Service has also put in place additional staff at regional level to support staff in prisons and to share good practice, and created a dedicated learning and knowledge management team at headquarters which is providing further support for safer custody work.</p><p> </p><p>Data on deaths in custody is published quarterly in the Safety in Custody Statistics Bulletin, available at <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-in-custody-statistics" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-in-custody-statistics</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 04/11/2014 15:47:01 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

100577

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
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 Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place to identify whether a person recalled to custody has (1) a learning disability, and (2) an IQ of less than 80.
tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
uin	HL2314
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>No specific screening is carried out by probation staff for low IQ or for learning disability. However, the Offender Assessment System (OASys) makes specific reference to whether learning difficulties have been disclosed; in addition, it invites the offender manager to consider whether there is any evidence of speech, language or communication difficulties, as well as how these might be addressed. Each offender on licence will also have a risk management plan and sentence plan, where any learning difficulties should be identified and considered.</p><p> </p><p>During recall considerations, an offender manager must consider whether the offender’s behaviour indicates that they present an increased “risk of serious harm” (in terms of the OASys classifications) to the public or an imminent risk of further offences being committed. Recall must also be considered in cases where contact between the offender manager and the offender has broken down. Consideration may be given to the context and intent of the behaviour that breached the licence. Thus, the offender manager must consider whether the offender understood sufficiently the breached condition and its implications. Alternatively, the offender manager should consider whether the breach arose as a result of a lack of support. In considering these things, the offender manager should take into account learning difficulties, disabilities or a low IQ.</p><p> </p><p>We plan to introduce the ‘Basic Custody Screening Tool’ (BCST) to all prisons in January as part of the Transforming Rehabilitation Programme. Once this has rolled out, all offenders entering custody, including all those recalled to custody, will be asked whether they have a learning difficulty or disability; and if so, to specify the nature of the difficulty or disability. The answers will inform their resettlement plan.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 04/11/2014 16:23:53 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

100578

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Parole: Learning Disability
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place to ensure reasonable adjustments for people with learning disabilities who are released from custody on licence so that the licence conditions are (1) necessary, and (2) proportionate.
tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
uin	HL2315
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>All offenders released from custody on licence are subject to six standard conditions. There are no exceptions. The standard licence conditions include requirements to keep in touch with their supervising officer, to seek permission prior to obtaining employment or moving address, and restrictions on travel outside the UK.</p><p> </p><p>It is also possible for additional conditions or restrictions to be placed upon the licence - for example, to prevent the offender in question from contacting a previous victim, or from visiting certain locations or premises. Any additional condition must be justified as being necessary for the effective management of the offender in question, as well as being proportionate to the risk the offender poses.</p><p> </p><p>The process for requesting and approving any additional conditions is the same for all offenders released on licence, so that the supervising officer may have specific regard to any offender with learning disabilities. If the supervising officer who manages the case considers that additional conditions are necessary and proportionate, they must request these of the Governing Governor of the releasing prison, or the Parole Board, whoever has responsibility for release in that case. The decision on whether to include such conditions rests with that authority.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 05/11/2014 17:35:25 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

100579

registered interest
date	22/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Parole
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place to ensure that, when a person with learning disabilities is released from custody on licence, the person understands (1) the licence conditions, (2) what is expected of them, and (3) the implications of non-compliance.
tabling member printed	Lord Bradley
uin	HL2316
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>All those due to be released on licence must have explained to them the conditions of their licence, what they are required to do upon release, and the implications of non-compliance. This is explained by a member of the prison staff prior to release, with the offender asked to sign their licence to confirm that they have understood this. It is explained again following release, by their supervising officer from the probation service responsible for managing their licence. These requirements are set out clearly in Prison Service Instruction 18/2014, and Probation Instruction 11/2014.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, the Ministry of Justice has produced an ‘easy read’ guide to licences to enable staff to explain the licence conditions to those who have learning disabilities in as clear a way as possible. These documents contain simple text and illustrations to help the understanding of an offender who may otherwise have difficulty comprehending the requirements made of them on release.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 05/11/2014 17:32:28 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	452 label Biography information for Lord Bradley

100603

registered interest
date	23/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Suicide
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of suicides in HM prisons.
tabling member printed	Lord Clinton-Davis
uin	HL2334
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Every death in custody is a tragedy, and the Government is committed to reducing the number of self-inflicted deaths in prisons. All prisons are required to have procedures in place to identify, manage and support people who are at risk of harm to themselves. These procedures include the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) process, which is a prisoner-centred, flexible care planning system for prisoners identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm. Prisons are also required to ensure that they have procedures in place to learn from deaths in custody to prevent future occurrences.</p><p> </p><p>We are working hard to understand the reasons for the recent rise in the number of self-inflicted deaths, but there is no simple explanation. Additional resources and support are being provided for safer custody work in prisons, and in particular to improve the consistency of the ACCT system. The National Offender Management Service has also put in place additional staff at regional level to support staff in prisons and to share good practice, and created a dedicated learning and knowledge management team at headquarters which is providing further support for safer custody work.</p><p> </p><p>Data on deaths in custody is published quarterly in the Safety in Custody Statistics Bulletin, available at <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-in-custody-statistics" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-in-custody-statistics</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 06/11/2014 17:46:36 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	1116 label Biography information for Lord Clinton-Davis

100624

registered interest
date	23/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Tribunals
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much it cost to prepare the Senior President of the Tribunals’ annual report on the performance of decision-making in the Ministry of Justice, in each of the last ten years.
tabling member printed	Lord Sharkey
uin	HL2355
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>Section 15A of the Social Security Act 1998 requires the Senior President of Tribunals, annually, to make a written report on the standards achieved by the Secretary of State for Work &amp; Pensions in the making of decisions against which an appeal is made to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Entitlement Chamber – Social Security and Child Support). That report must be published by the Lord Chancellor.</p><p> </p><p>The duty to report was discharged by the President of the Appeals Tribunal prior to the implementation of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007. The Senior President of Tribunals has delegated this responsibility to the President of the Social Entitlement Chamber since the implementation of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007.</p><p> </p><p>Preparation of the report costs approximately £20,000 in judicial time each year; however, this is within their salaried hours, so there is no additional cost beyond their salary. There are some associated printing costs but records of these are not held centrally.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 06/11/2014 17:49:39 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	4196 label Biography information for Lord Sharkey

101264

registered interest
date	28/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Forced Marriage Protection Orders
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Forced Marriage Protection Orders have been issued since the Forced Marriage (Civil Protection) Act 2007 came into force.
tabling member printed	Lord Lester of Herne Hill
uin	HL2469
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p>Forced marriage is an appalling crime and should not be tolerated.</p><p> </p><p>Since the 2007 Act came into force on 25 November 2008 and up to the end of June 2014, 719 Forced Marriage Protection Orders have been made.</p><p> </p><p>We have also created a new criminal offence that will enable faster and more effective action to be taken against those who breach forced marriage protection orders by forcing someone to get married against their will. This offence is designed to prosecute individuals who force somene to get married against their will; the person who has been forced to get married will not be prosecuted.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 11/11/2014 16:49:11 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	2037 label Biography information for Lord Lester of Herne Hill

101269

registered interest
date	28/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Judges: Training
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual budget for the training of district judges (magistrates' courts) and deputy district judges (magistrates' courts) for each of the last five years, and for the current year.
tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
uin	HL2474
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>The responsibility for the training of District Judges (magistrates’ courts) and deputies lies with the Lord Chief Justice as head of the judiciary and is exercised through the Judicial College.</p><p> </p><p>It is not possible to fully separate the budget figures between the DJ(MC)s and deputies as some continuation training events are attended jointly. Where it is possible to show separation it has been done.</p><p> </p><p /> <p /><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Attending</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Sub Totals</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total (£000s)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2009/10</strong></p></td><td><p>DDJ &amp; DJ</p></td><td><p>£185</p></td><td><p><strong>£185</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2010/11</strong></p></td><td><p>DDJ</p></td><td><p>£22</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>DDJ &amp; DJ</p></td><td><p>£162</p></td><td><p><strong>£184</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2011/12</strong></p></td><td><p>DDJ</p></td><td><p>£23</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>DDJ &amp; DJ</p></td><td><p>£205</p></td><td><p><strong>£228</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2012/13</strong></p></td><td><p>DDJ</p></td><td><p>£20</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>DJ</p></td><td><p>£83</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>DDJ &amp; DJ</p></td><td><p>£133</p></td><td><p><strong>£236</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2013/14</strong></p></td><td><p>DDJ</p></td><td><p>£31</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>DDJ &amp; DJ</p></td><td><p>£137</p></td><td><p><strong>£168</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong> </strong></p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>2014/15</strong></p></td><td><p>DDJ</p></td><td><p>£28</p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>DDJ &amp; DJ</p></td><td><p>£122</p></td><td><p><strong>£150</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>These figures reflect a half-day sitting fee paid to DDJ(MC) attending training. However, recent Court decisions require the College to pay a full day’s sitting fee to certain fee-paid judiciary whilst attending training seminars, and this is not reflected in these figures. [For previous years the College paid a half-day sitting fee whilst attending training.]</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 17/11/2014 12:02:40 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

101270

registered interest
date	28/10/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Magistrates
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many lay magistrates were asked to step down by advisory committees in the last year for which there are data on the ground of failing to maintain the required competences; and how many magistrates each year undergo appraisal.
tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
uin	HL2475
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The assessment of magistrates’ competence is a matter for the local Bench Training and Development Committee (BDTC), which reports to the advisory committee for the local justice area. Where the BDTC has concluded that a magistrate has failed, over a period of time, to reach the required standard the advisory committee may make a recommendation to the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice that the magistrate should be removed from office.</p><p> </p><p>The process for removing a magistrate on such a basis is managed by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office. One magistrate has been removed from the magistracy during the last year for failing to maintain the required competences.</p><p> </p><p>Magistrates are appraised on their performance once every three years for each jurisdiction (adult court, family court, youth court) in which they sit. Appraisals are carried out locally by trained appraisers in line with a nationally approved framework. On account of the three-yearly cycle, roughly a third of the approximately 21,000 magistrates in England and Wales could expect to undergo appraisal in any given year.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 11/11/2014 16:54:55 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham