The Root and Branch Review of the Parole System was published on 30 March 2022 and set out a number of reforms to the parole system, some of which will require primary or secondary legislation. The review reaffirms the government\u2019s intention, as part of our commitment to make the parole system more transparent, to allow for some parole hearings to be held in public; that requires a change to the Parole Board Rules which will be implemented via a Statutory Instrument later this year.<\/p>
<\/p>
The review also made a number of commitments that will require primary legislation, namely: changes to the statutory release test to make clear public protection is the overriding consideration; new ministerial powers to oversee release decisions in the \u2018top-tier\u2019 cohort of the most serious parole cases; and mandating that Parole Board members with a law enforcement background sit on panels for these top-tier offenders. The necessary legislation will be brought forward as soon as the parliamentary timetable allows.<\/p>
<\/p>
Other measures to strengthen the parole system, which do not require legislation, are already being implemented - such as the change we have announced to introduce, from 6 June, a tougher test and ministerial oversight when considering the most serious offenders for a move to open prison conditions.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4495", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kit Malthouse"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North West Hampshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kit Malthouse"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-09T10:50:07.86Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Parole"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to reform the parole system.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4268", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Reed"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Steve Reed"} ], "uin" : "13140"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467811", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467811/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Bill of Rights is a flagship piece of legislation to be brought forward this Parliamentary session. It is important that the provisions in the Bill are subject to full public and Parliamentary scrutiny and our consultation on the Bill of Rights received over 12,000 responses. The Government is considering these responses and will be publishing a response in due course. We are also preparing a formal response to the recommendations in the Joint Committee on Human Rights\u2019 report on the Bill of Rights. We therefore do not intend to submit the Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4519", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for James Cartlidge"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Suffolk"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "James Cartlidge"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-09T13:21:45.49Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Bill of Rights"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has plans to submit the proposed Bill of Rights for pre-legislative scrutiny.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4268", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Reed"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Steve Reed"} ], "uin" : "13141"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467812", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467812/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
From 6 June, all indeterminate sentence prisoners recommended for a move to open conditions by the Parole Board will face much stricter criteria. The new rules will mean the Deputy Prime Minister can block any such prisoner moving to an open prison unless they can demonstrably pass a tough three-step test including:<\/p>
It is expected that the Parole Board will make fewer recommendations than was the case under the previous criteria, although no formal estimate has been made of the number of recommendations which will need to be considered by Ministers personally or by officials under approved delegated authority.<\/p>
There are no plans to publish an annual summary of decisions made in the new process.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4495", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kit Malthouse"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North West Hampshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kit Malthouse"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "13143"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-09T10:51:26.943Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Open Prisons: Prisoners' Transfers"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the press release entitled Offenders to face toughest test yet for open prison moves, published by his department on 5 June 2022, whether he has made an estimate of the number of potential moves that will be assessed by the Lord Chancellor each year under.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4268", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Reed"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Steve Reed"} ], "uin" : "13142"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467829", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467829/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
From 6 June, all indeterminate sentence prisoners recommended for a move to open conditions by the Parole Board will face much stricter criteria. The new rules will mean the Deputy Prime Minister can block any such prisoner moving to an open prison unless they can demonstrably pass a tough three-step test including:<\/p>
It is expected that the Parole Board will make fewer recommendations than was the case under the previous criteria, although no formal estimate has been made of the number of recommendations which will need to be considered by Ministers personally or by officials under approved delegated authority.<\/p>
There are no plans to publish an annual summary of decisions made in the new process.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4495", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Kit Malthouse"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North West Hampshire"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Kit Malthouse"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-09", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "13142"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-09T10:51:26.99Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Open Prisons: Prisoners' Transfers"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the announcement of 5 June 2022, Offenders to face toughest test yet for open prison moves, whether he plans to publish an annual summary of his decision making through the new process.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4268", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Steve Reed"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Croydon North"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Steve Reed"} ], "uin" : "13143"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467152", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467152/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
HMCTS is currently investigating the best way to capture data about joint enterprise on the Common Platform \u2013 the new courts IT system. The cost of this will depend on the complexity of the change and the effort required to develop, test and implement it.<\/p>
<\/p>
Once the relevant data is captured on the Common Platform, officials will be able to assess which further steps would need to be undertaken for it to be measured and reported on correctly. This data may then, with further work, be made publishable as a national statistic.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4519", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for James Cartlidge"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "South Suffolk"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "James Cartlidge"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-06-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-06-08T16:09:10.377Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2022-06-01", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Aiding and Abetting: Convictions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an estimate of the cost of keeping official statistics on the number of convictions that rely on the law of joint enterprise.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4651", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dan Carden"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Liverpool, Walton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Dan Carden"} ], "uin" : "11833"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467434", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1467434/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Ministry of Justice makes use of management consultants to advise on resolutions to complex and challenging problems. To ensure value for money is secured from the engagement of management consultants, the Ministry\u2019s commercial policy is to put new requirements out to competition.<\/p>
The Ministry of Justice total spend on external management consultants in the relevant period is set out in Table 1 below:<\/p>
Table 1<\/strong><\/p> Consultancy Spend by Financial Year & Business Area, £000s<\/strong><\/p>