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1543731

registered interest
date	18/11/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Women's Centres
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 Women in Prison report The value of Women's Centres, published in September.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
uin	HL3539
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2022 answer text <p>The Government understands the vital role that women’s centres play in supporting women in the community with complex needs to address the underlying causes of their offending behaviour, which the report, the Value of Women’s Centres’, sets out. The MoJ is investing up to £24 million in women’s community services through grant competitions that aim to both support the sector in delivering vital services and to promote better local integration in how those services are delivered. The effectiveness of our funding for women’s community services will be evaluated and inform future funding decisions, including whether to establish a cross departmental fund.</p><p> </p><p>It also remains our intention to publish a Delivery Plan for the Female Offender Strategy in the coming months. The Delivery Plan will be accompanied by an Impact Assessment that will include an estimate of the number of women that could be supported through women’s services as a result of our funding, based on the number of interventions that could be provided.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy grouped question UIN HL3540 HL3541 question first answered 30/11/2022 12:52:11 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	4301 label Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger

1543732

registered interest
date	18/11/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Women's Centres
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether investing in women’s centres (1) gives a good return on the investment, (2) offers better value and outcomes, and (3) reduces reoffending rates, by comparison with sending women to prison.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
uin	HL3540
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2022 answer text <p>The Government understands the vital role that women’s centres play in supporting women in the community with complex needs to address the underlying causes of their offending behaviour, which the report, the Value of Women’s Centres’, sets out. The MoJ is investing up to £24 million in women’s community services through grant competitions that aim to both support the sector in delivering vital services and to promote better local integration in how those services are delivered. The effectiveness of our funding for women’s community services will be evaluated and inform future funding decisions, including whether to establish a cross departmental fund.</p><p> </p><p>It also remains our intention to publish a Delivery Plan for the Female Offender Strategy in the coming months. The Delivery Plan will be accompanied by an Impact Assessment that will include an estimate of the number of women that could be supported through women’s services as a result of our funding, based on the number of interventions that could be provided.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy grouped question UIN HL3539 HL3541 question first answered 30/11/2022 12:52:11 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	4301 label Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger

1543733

registered interest
date	18/11/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Women's Centres
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether more funding for women’s centres could be achieved by a cross departmental fund; and what plans they have, if any, to introduce such a fund.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
uin	HL3541
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/11/2022 answer text <p>The Government understands the vital role that women’s centres play in supporting women in the community with complex needs to address the underlying causes of their offending behaviour, which the report, the Value of Women’s Centres’, sets out. The MoJ is investing up to £24 million in women’s community services through grant competitions that aim to both support the sector in delivering vital services and to promote better local integration in how those services are delivered. The effectiveness of our funding for women’s community services will be evaluated and inform future funding decisions, including whether to establish a cross departmental fund.</p><p> </p><p>It also remains our intention to publish a Delivery Plan for the Female Offender Strategy in the coming months. The Delivery Plan will be accompanied by an Impact Assessment that will include an estimate of the number of women that could be supported through women’s services as a result of our funding, based on the number of interventions that could be provided.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy grouped question UIN HL3539 HL3540 question first answered 30/11/2022 12:52:11 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	4301 label Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger

1520872

registered interest
date	11/10/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Coroners
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to implement the recommendations they outlined in The Coroner Service: Government Response to the Committee’s First Report, published on 10 September 2021 (HC 675).
tabling member printed	Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
uin	HL2475
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2022 answer text <p>The Government continues to work with stakeholders to make inquests more sensitive to the needs of bereaved families, who remain at the heart of the coroner service.</p><p>We are therefore committed to implementing the six Justice Committee recommendations which we accepted in our response to its First Report on the Coroner Service. To this end, we have already included in the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 a suite of measures aimed at streamlining processes in the coroner’s courts and supporting the Chief Coroner’s post-pandemic recovery plans. A further provision makes it easier for coroner areas to merge, as recommended by the Justice Committee.</p><p>Following the recommendation that we should improve access to the Guide to Coroner Services for Bereaved People, we are assessing how best to ensure availability in light of user needs.</p><p>We are also considering ten further recommendations made to Government, as outlined in our response, and will take forward any appropriate action as soon as practicable.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy question first answered 25/10/2022 14:46:15 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	4301 label Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger

1491753

registered interest
date	21/07/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Coroners: Standards
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a backlog for holding inquests as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; and if so, how this varies across the regions of the country.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
uin	HL2019
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2022 answer text <p>The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2021/coroners-statistics-2021-england-and-wales#annex-b-further-analysis-of-deaths-reported-to-coroners" target="_blank">Coroner Statistics 2021: England and Wales</a>, published on 12 May 2022, indicate that, on average in 2021, the time between the report of a death to the coroner and the completion of an inquest increased to 31 weeks (up from 27 weeks in 2020), although almost a third of coroner areas completed inquests within 24 weeks. Figures are also published by coroner area: for the Isle of Wight coroner area, the average time for completion of an inquest was 56 weeks (from 40 weeks in 2020).</p><p>Coroner services are locally based and funded and administered by the relevant local authorities. The Government recognises that local authorities have experienced a number of pressures as a result of the pandemic. During 2021, coroners dealt with both the impacts of the early stages of the pandemic and the ongoing effect of Covid, including a second lockdown and continued social distancing measures which, in particular, affected the ability to hold jury and other large and complex inquests.</p><p>We have provided £6.15 billion in unringfenced grant funding to local authorities in England to support the cost of pandemic pressures which could include additional costs incurred in the administration of coroner services. Funding for local authorities in Wales is a devolved matter. The Chief Coroner has issued guidance to coroners on how their services can best recover from the pandemic, including engagement with local authorities on any additional resources required. He is also undertaking a tour of all coroner areas to engage with them on their post-pandemic recovery plans.</p><p>In addition, we included a package of measures in the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 to streamline coroners’ court processes and support the coronial system with post pandemic recovery plans.</p><p>The Government’s priority is to ensure that the bereaved remain at the heart of the coroner system. In January 2020, we published a revised Guide to Coroner Services for Bereaved People which provides support and information for the bereaved about what they should expect from coroners’ investigations and inquests, and includes information on sources of bereavement support. The Guide is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-coroner-services-and-coroner-investigations-a-short-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-coroner-services-and-coroner-investigations-a-short-guide</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy grouped question UIN HL2020 HL2021 HL2022 question first answered 02/08/2022 15:50:20 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	4301 label Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger

1491754

registered interest
date	21/07/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Coroners: Isle of Wight
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there is a backlog for inquests in the Isle of Wight; and if so, what steps they are taking to clear that backlog.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
uin	HL2020
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2022 answer text <p>The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2021/coroners-statistics-2021-england-and-wales#annex-b-further-analysis-of-deaths-reported-to-coroners" target="_blank">Coroner Statistics 2021: England and Wales</a>, published on 12 May 2022, indicate that, on average in 2021, the time between the report of a death to the coroner and the completion of an inquest increased to 31 weeks (up from 27 weeks in 2020), although almost a third of coroner areas completed inquests within 24 weeks. Figures are also published by coroner area: for the Isle of Wight coroner area, the average time for completion of an inquest was 56 weeks (from 40 weeks in 2020).</p><p>Coroner services are locally based and funded and administered by the relevant local authorities. The Government recognises that local authorities have experienced a number of pressures as a result of the pandemic. During 2021, coroners dealt with both the impacts of the early stages of the pandemic and the ongoing effect of Covid, including a second lockdown and continued social distancing measures which, in particular, affected the ability to hold jury and other large and complex inquests.</p><p>We have provided £6.15 billion in unringfenced grant funding to local authorities in England to support the cost of pandemic pressures which could include additional costs incurred in the administration of coroner services. Funding for local authorities in Wales is a devolved matter. The Chief Coroner has issued guidance to coroners on how their services can best recover from the pandemic, including engagement with local authorities on any additional resources required. He is also undertaking a tour of all coroner areas to engage with them on their post-pandemic recovery plans.</p><p>In addition, we included a package of measures in the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 to streamline coroners’ court processes and support the coronial system with post pandemic recovery plans.</p><p>The Government’s priority is to ensure that the bereaved remain at the heart of the coroner system. In January 2020, we published a revised Guide to Coroner Services for Bereaved People which provides support and information for the bereaved about what they should expect from coroners’ investigations and inquests, and includes information on sources of bereavement support. The Guide is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-coroner-services-and-coroner-investigations-a-short-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-coroner-services-and-coroner-investigations-a-short-guide</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy grouped question UIN HL2019 HL2021 HL2022 question first answered 02/08/2022 15:50:20 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	4301 label Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger

1491755

registered interest
date	21/07/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Coroners: Standards
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average time it takes from death to holding an inquest, where necessary.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
uin	HL2021
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2022 answer text <p>The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2021/coroners-statistics-2021-england-and-wales#annex-b-further-analysis-of-deaths-reported-to-coroners" target="_blank">Coroner Statistics 2021: England and Wales</a>, published on 12 May 2022, indicate that, on average in 2021, the time between the report of a death to the coroner and the completion of an inquest increased to 31 weeks (up from 27 weeks in 2020), although almost a third of coroner areas completed inquests within 24 weeks. Figures are also published by coroner area: for the Isle of Wight coroner area, the average time for completion of an inquest was 56 weeks (from 40 weeks in 2020).</p><p>Coroner services are locally based and funded and administered by the relevant local authorities. The Government recognises that local authorities have experienced a number of pressures as a result of the pandemic. During 2021, coroners dealt with both the impacts of the early stages of the pandemic and the ongoing effect of Covid, including a second lockdown and continued social distancing measures which, in particular, affected the ability to hold jury and other large and complex inquests.</p><p>We have provided £6.15 billion in unringfenced grant funding to local authorities in England to support the cost of pandemic pressures which could include additional costs incurred in the administration of coroner services. Funding for local authorities in Wales is a devolved matter. The Chief Coroner has issued guidance to coroners on how their services can best recover from the pandemic, including engagement with local authorities on any additional resources required. He is also undertaking a tour of all coroner areas to engage with them on their post-pandemic recovery plans.</p><p>In addition, we included a package of measures in the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 to streamline coroners’ court processes and support the coronial system with post pandemic recovery plans.</p><p>The Government’s priority is to ensure that the bereaved remain at the heart of the coroner system. In January 2020, we published a revised Guide to Coroner Services for Bereaved People which provides support and information for the bereaved about what they should expect from coroners’ investigations and inquests, and includes information on sources of bereavement support. The Guide is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-coroner-services-and-coroner-investigations-a-short-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-coroner-services-and-coroner-investigations-a-short-guide</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy grouped question UIN HL2019 HL2020 HL2022 question first answered 02/08/2022 15:50:20 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	4301 label Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger

1491756

registered interest
date	21/07/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Coroners: Standards
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the experience of families waiting for an inquest to take place; and what bereavement support they are providing to these individuals.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
uin	HL2022
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/08/2022 answer text <p>The <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coroners-statistics-2021/coroners-statistics-2021-england-and-wales#annex-b-further-analysis-of-deaths-reported-to-coroners" target="_blank">Coroner Statistics 2021: England and Wales</a>, published on 12 May 2022, indicate that, on average in 2021, the time between the report of a death to the coroner and the completion of an inquest increased to 31 weeks (up from 27 weeks in 2020), although almost a third of coroner areas completed inquests within 24 weeks. Figures are also published by coroner area: for the Isle of Wight coroner area, the average time for completion of an inquest was 56 weeks (from 40 weeks in 2020).</p><p>Coroner services are locally based and funded and administered by the relevant local authorities. The Government recognises that local authorities have experienced a number of pressures as a result of the pandemic. During 2021, coroners dealt with both the impacts of the early stages of the pandemic and the ongoing effect of Covid, including a second lockdown and continued social distancing measures which, in particular, affected the ability to hold jury and other large and complex inquests.</p><p>We have provided £6.15 billion in unringfenced grant funding to local authorities in England to support the cost of pandemic pressures which could include additional costs incurred in the administration of coroner services. Funding for local authorities in Wales is a devolved matter. The Chief Coroner has issued guidance to coroners on how their services can best recover from the pandemic, including engagement with local authorities on any additional resources required. He is also undertaking a tour of all coroner areas to engage with them on their post-pandemic recovery plans.</p><p>In addition, we included a package of measures in the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 to streamline coroners’ court processes and support the coronial system with post pandemic recovery plans.</p><p>The Government’s priority is to ensure that the bereaved remain at the heart of the coroner system. In January 2020, we published a revised Guide to Coroner Services for Bereaved People which provides support and information for the bereaved about what they should expect from coroners’ investigations and inquests, and includes information on sources of bereavement support. The Guide is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-coroner-services-and-coroner-investigations-a-short-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-coroner-services-and-coroner-investigations-a-short-guide</a>.</p> answering member printed Lord Bellamy grouped question UIN HL2019 HL2020 HL2021 question first answered 02/08/2022 15:50:20 answering member 4941 label Biography information for Lord Bellamy
tabling member	4301 label Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger

1435376

registered interest
date	24/02/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Females
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what accommodation support they provide for women on release from prison who have been held on remand.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
uin	HL6418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2022 answer text <p>Our vision is that no one who is subject to probation supervision is released from prison homeless.</p><p>Women on remand are supported to meet resettlement needs and prepare for release by Probation staff in prisons. We will supplement this support from Probation staff with access to specialist accommodation support for all women on remand or sentenced in custody by the summer of this year.</p><p>We currently provide a Community Accommodation Service (CAS3), which provides temporary accommodation for sentenced women at risk of homelessness upon release from prison, in five probation regions and aim to expand this to all regions across England and Wales.</p><p>In 2021, we introduced Housing Specialists in twenty prisons, including four women’s prisons, to support prisons and probation in their strategic response to reducing homelessness. We intend to increase these to 48 across England and Wales, including across the women’s estate.</p><p>The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) launched their Accommodation for Ex-Offenders (AFEO) scheme in July 2021 to support offenders at risk of homelessness into private rental tenancies. Overall, this financial year, £13 million has been allocated to 87 schemes across 145 local authorities.</p><p>To ensure consistent and accurate data recording, HMPPS, in collaboration with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing &amp; Communities (DLUHC) and the Welsh Government, has recently updated the Accommodation Recording Guidance to ensure Probation regions have a clear and consistent understanding of the accommodation status definitions, and how to record accurately. The Guidance defines homelessness as where an individual is rough sleeping, squatting, residing in night shelters, emergency hostels or campsites. Individuals with other forms of temporary, short-term or otherwise unstable accommodation are encompassed by the ‘unsettled accommodation’ category in published statistics.</p><p>Accommodation circumstances for offenders are reported annually as official statistics. Data for the period 01 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 will be published in July 2022 in the Community Performance Annual report.</p> answering member printed Lord Wolfson of Tredegar grouped question UIN HL6419 question first answered 10/03/2022 17:34:03 answering member 4901 label Biography information for Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
tabling member	4301 label Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger

1435377

registered interest
date	24/02/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Females
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reliability of their data on whether women leaving prison have (1) safe, and (2) sustainable, accommodation.
tabling member printed	Baroness Hodgson of Abinger
uin	HL6419
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2022 answer text <p>Our vision is that no one who is subject to probation supervision is released from prison homeless.</p><p>Women on remand are supported to meet resettlement needs and prepare for release by Probation staff in prisons. We will supplement this support from Probation staff with access to specialist accommodation support for all women on remand or sentenced in custody by the summer of this year.</p><p>We currently provide a Community Accommodation Service (CAS3), which provides temporary accommodation for sentenced women at risk of homelessness upon release from prison, in five probation regions and aim to expand this to all regions across England and Wales.</p><p>In 2021, we introduced Housing Specialists in twenty prisons, including four women’s prisons, to support prisons and probation in their strategic response to reducing homelessness. We intend to increase these to 48 across England and Wales, including across the women’s estate.</p><p>The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) launched their Accommodation for Ex-Offenders (AFEO) scheme in July 2021 to support offenders at risk of homelessness into private rental tenancies. Overall, this financial year, £13 million has been allocated to 87 schemes across 145 local authorities.</p><p>To ensure consistent and accurate data recording, HMPPS, in collaboration with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing &amp; Communities (DLUHC) and the Welsh Government, has recently updated the Accommodation Recording Guidance to ensure Probation regions have a clear and consistent understanding of the accommodation status definitions, and how to record accurately. The Guidance defines homelessness as where an individual is rough sleeping, squatting, residing in night shelters, emergency hostels or campsites. Individuals with other forms of temporary, short-term or otherwise unstable accommodation are encompassed by the ‘unsettled accommodation’ category in published statistics.</p><p>Accommodation circumstances for offenders are reported annually as official statistics. Data for the period 01 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 will be published in July 2022 in the Community Performance Annual report.</p> answering member printed Lord Wolfson of Tredegar grouped question UIN HL6418 question first answered 10/03/2022 17:34:03 answering member 4901 label Biography information for Lord Wolfson of Tredegar
tabling member	4301 label Biography information for Baroness Hodgson of Abinger