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1189882

registered interest
date	23/04/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many prisoners they have so far released, temporarily or permanently, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; how many were pregnant women; and what is their response to the Prison Governors Association’s call for the release of 15,000 prisoners.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3393
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>On 31 March, we announced that pregnant women and prisoners with their babies in custody will be considered for Release on Temporary Licence (ROTL) on compassionate grounds during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of Friday 1 May, 21 pregnant women and mothers with babies in custody have been released.</p><p> </p><p>On 4 April, we announced the End of Custody Temporary Release scheme. This scheme enables risk-assessed prisoners, who are within two months of their release date, to be temporarily released from custody, as part of the national approach to managing public services during this challenging period. As of Friday 1 May, 30 offenders have been released under this scheme.</p><p> </p><p>Policy and guidance for both the End of Custody Temporary Release and COVID-19: Use of Compassionate ROTL can be found on gov.uk and is attached with this answer.</p><p><br> HMPPS took decisive action in March to restrict regimes and minimise movements between jails to save lives. Strong further measures were introduced to ease pressure on prisons with the early release of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/measures-announced-to-protect-nhs-from-coronavirus-risk-in-prisons" target="_blank">low-risk offenders</a>, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prison-estate-expanded-to-protect-nhs-from-coronavirus-risk" target="_blank">temporary expansion of the estate</a>, and work to reduce the number of those held on remand.</p><p>Latest modelling informed by new Public Health England advice shows that creating headroom of c. 5,000 could be effective in limiting the spread of the virus. The population has already reduced by almost 3,000 over a seven-week period. Combining a reduction in the prison population, creating additional headroom in the estate, and managing prisoners through ‘compartmentalisation’, HMPPS can continue to protect life.</p><p>The modelling can be found on gov.uk and is also attached with this answer.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie attachment 1 file name covid-19-population-management-strategy-prisons.pdf title covid-19-population-management-strategy-prisons 2 file name covid19-use-compassionate-rotl.pdf title covid19-use-compassionate-rotl grouped question UIN HL3396 question first answered 11/05/2020 11:08:17 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1189883

registered interest
date	23/04/2020
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Coronavirus: Prisons
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made with the testing for COVID-19 of (1) prison staff, and (2) prisoners.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3394
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2020 answer text <p>COVID-19 testing has been extended to cover prison staff, probation staff and those working in approved premises. Hundreds of staff have now been tested and Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service is working with the Department testing teams to roll-out a COVID-19 testing plan for prison staff.</p> answering member printed Lord Bethell question first answered 04/05/2020 16:16:57 answering member 4708 label Biography information for Lord Bethell
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1189884

registered interest
date	23/04/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Mobile Phones
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the opportunity for a prisoner to use a mobile telephone is determined by their good conduct; and what assessment they have made of the impact of mobile telephone usage on preventing the breakup of families in the absence of visits.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3395
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2020 answer text <p>In recognition of the importance of continued contact with family and to ensure stability in our jails the Government has moved quickly to keep prisoners in touch with their family members by the introduction of 900 secure mobile PIN phones for those prisons which do not already have in-cell telephony. These are in addition to, but operate in the same way, as wing PIN phones which remain in use.</p><p> </p><p>Behaviour is not part of the formal risk assessment for the allocation of mobile telephones for prisoners’ use. Access to the locked mobile PIN phones is given following completion of a risk assessment, for those deemed to represent the greatest risk to the public and require additional safeguards approval must be given by the Governing Governor.</p><p> </p><p>There has been no recent assessment of the impact of mobile PIN telephone use on families in the absence of visits. However, Lord Farmer’s Report in June 2019, “The Importance of Strengthening Female Offenders' Family and other Relationships to Prevent Reoffending and Reduce Intergenerational Crime” shows that facilitating regular family contact can reduce a prisoners’ likelihood of reoffending by 39%. Family members are also able to contact the National Prisoners’ Families helpline or the prison’s safer custody line if they have individual concerns.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 07/05/2020 16:01:34 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1189375

registered interest
date	22/04/2020
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Refugees: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the decision by the governments of Italy, Malta and Libya to disallow landing facilities for refugees and migrants rescued at sea, what plans they have to call for the establishment of COVID-19 testing and quarantining arrangements for refugees and migrants in those and other countries.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3018
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2020 answer text <p>This is a fast-moving situation and Italy, Malta and Libya are all adapting their approach to the evolving threat posed by COVID-19. Their responses include dedicated structures to quarantine rescued migrants, mandatory self-isolation for 14 days, testing regimes and, in Libya’s case, disembarkation only in accordance with the Directorate for Combatting Illegal Migration’s capacity to provide shelter. The UK is monitoring these situations closely. In Libya, the UK continues to provide humanitarian support in the healthcare sector.</p><p>The UK has contributed over £744 million of UK Aid in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, including £20 million to the UN Refugees Agency (UNHCR) to ensure UK Aid meets the needs of vulnerable groups such as refugees. This includes providing access to health services and medical supplies, improving shelters so people with symptoms can isolate, and making sure that there are adequate hygiene supplies and facilities for hand washing in camps and large settlements, to prevent the humanitarian disaster that mass infections among refugees would bring.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 04/05/2020 09:28:46 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1189613

registered interest
date	21/04/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Syria: Ceasefires
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the UN’s proposal for a ceasefire throughout Syria until the COVID-19 pandemic is over; and if so, what discussions, if any, they have had with the governments involved in that conflict about that proposal.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3131
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>We support the UN call for an immediate, lasting, and nationwide ceasefire in Syria to enable complete focus on countering COVID-19. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa discussed this with Geir Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria, on 1 April and we have expressed our support for this initiative at the UN Security Council and in bilateral discussions with some of the countries involved in the Syrian conflict. However, we have not discussed this proposal with the Assad regime since we have had no diplomatic relations with them since 2012.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 05/05/2020 13:03:03 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1189614

registered interest
date	21/04/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Greece: Asylum
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Greece has detained and mistreated migrants at secret extrajudicial sites before deporting those migrants to Turkey; and what representations they have made to the government of Greece about refoulement.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3132
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government is aware of reports of the detention and mistreatment of migrants in Greece and remain in close contact with the Greek Government. We recognise that the Greek authorities are under considerable pressure and we remain committed to supporting Greece's efforts to manage migration effectively. The Minister for Immigration at the Home Office, and Greek Alternate Minister for Migration Mr George Koumoutsakos, signed the UK-Greece bilateral action plan on 22 April to this end. While the UK fully supports the right of States to control their borders, we also expect States to fulfil their international obligations and protect and promote the human rights of migrants. This includes with regard to the principle of non-refoulement. As part of the EU-Turkey Deal of 2016 Turkey is considered a safe country to which to return migrants who have entered Greece illegally.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 01/05/2020 13:49:58 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1189615

registered interest
date	21/04/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Turkey: Politics and Government
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Turkey has submitted proceedings to withdraw parliamentary immunity from 28 opposition MPs of the Republican People’s Party, the People’s Democratic Party and the Democratic Regions Party; and what representations they intend to make, if any, to that government about such reports.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3133
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2020 answer text <p>This is a matter for the Turkish Parliament. We will continue to follow closely developments on this. As a modern democracy, we expect Turkey to undertake any subsequent legal processes transparently and to fully respect the rule of law. We consistently encourage the Turkish government to uphold the rule of law, to respect fundamental freedoms and to adhere to its international obligations.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 01/05/2020 13:50:59 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1189800

registered interest
date	21/04/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Israel: Palestinians
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all or any of the 180 Palestinian children reportedly detained by the Israeli Authorities have been released since 5 April; and if not, what steps they intend to take.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3317
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK has serious concerns about the continued reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding children in detention in the country. We welcomed progress made with recent Israeli policy amendments. We continue to fund projects providing legal aid to minors and capacity building to local lawyers. Specifically, we advocate for the Israeli authorities to inform more consistently detainees of their legal rights. We continue to make representations to the Israeli authorities on this issue. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv did so most recently on 16 December 2019.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 05/05/2020 13:13:31 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1189801

registered interest
date	21/04/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Israel: Palestinians
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel about the repeated arrests of the Palestinian Authority Governor of East Jerusalem and reports of beatings and maltreatment of another Palestinian Authority official.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3318
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>While we have not made representations on the arrests of the Palestinian Authority (PA) Governor of East Jerusalem, the British Consul General in Jerusalem, alongside a number of other representatives, met the PA Minister for Jerusalem Affairs by videoconference on 7 April. They expressed concern at the 3 April raid by Israeli police on his home, his detention and questioning about his work to prevent the spread of Covid-19 in East Jerusalem. We remain concerned about Israel's extensive use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice and as a preventive rather than a punitive measure. We continue to call on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and either charge or release detainees.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 05/05/2020 13:10:06 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1189802

registered interest
date	21/04/2020
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Jerusalem: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to discuss with the government of Israel the health needs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic of the Silwan neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3319
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>We are deeply concerned about the impact of a COVID-19 outbreak in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The British Embassy in Tel Aviv and the British Consulate-General in Jerusalem are in regular contact with the Israeli and Palestinian authorities respectively. Both report good cooperation in response to COVID-19 though we continue to call on both parties to avoid any provocative action which might undermine the cooperation that is so critical. UN agencies, the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli Government are working together to ensure that essential medical supplies and staff reach the OPTs. The UK's $1 million funding contribution will enable the World Health Organisation and UNICEF to purchase and co-ordinate the delivery of medical equipment, treat critical care patients, train frontline public health personnel and scale up laboratory testing capacity.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 05/05/2020 13:10:57 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton