Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 22 December 2015 (HL4650), why children's visits to their fathers in prison continue to be part of Incentives and Earned Privileges schemes when children's visits to their mother in prison are excluded from such schemes under issue 297 of Prison Service Order 4800.
Answered by Lord Faulks
Men and women prisoners have the same entitlements to visits. Both are eligible to family days where relevant, in addition to the normal visits entitlement. Prisons should not treat men and women prisoners differently with respect to visits solely on the basis of their gender.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 22 December 2015 (HL4639), what recent discussions they have had with the National Offender Management Service about bringing the guidance on Incentives and Earned Privileges schemes for men's prisons in line with the guidance for women's prisons set out in issue 297 of Prison Service Order 4800, which states that incentive schemes "should never be linked to any access to family visits".
Answered by Lord Faulks
Men and women prisoners have the same entitlements to visits. Both are eligible to family days where relevant, in addition to the normal visits entitlement. Prisons should not treat men and women prisoners differently with respect to visits solely on the basis of their gender.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve the conditions for children visiting a parent in prison, in the light of Barnardo's recent report <i>Locked Out: Children's experiences of visiting a parent in prison</i>.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.
All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of Barnardo's in the recent report <i>Locked Out: Children's experiences of visiting a parent in prison</i>, that visits by children to fathers in prison should be removed from the incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.
All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations in Barnardo's recent report <i>Locked Out: Children's experiences of visiting a parent in prison</i>.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.
All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Barnardo's recent report <i>Locked Out: Children's experiences of visiting a parent in prison, </i>in particular claims that visits by children to fathers who are in prison are severely restricted<i>.</i>
Answered by Lord Faulks
The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.
All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will place in the Library of the House the report of, or other documentation from, Ofcom's strategic review that led to the decision that Ofcom should regulate video-on-demand programme services from 1 January 2016.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
From 1 January 2016, Video on Demand (VOD) services will be regulated by Ofcom, following an internal review to ensure the regulation of broadcast is as effective and efficient as possible, for the benefit of customers, audiences, and the industry. Ofcom will act as the sole regulator for VOD services, rather than two separate bodies carrying out this work, creating operational efficiencies and allowing editorial content on VOD services to sit alongside Ofcom’s existing regulation of broadcasting.
Ofcom has communicated the outcome and reasons for its decision to stakeholders. More information can be found here :http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2015/1520333/
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consultation took place with relevant stakeholders before the announcement that video-on-demand programme services would be regulated by Ofcom from 1 January 2016.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
From 1 January 2016, Video on Demand (VOD) services will be regulated by Ofcom, following an internal review to ensure the regulation of broadcast is as effective and efficient as possible, for the benefit of customers, audiences, and the industry. Ofcom will act as the sole regulator for VOD services, rather than two separate bodies carrying out this work, creating operational efficiencies and allowing editorial content on VOD services to sit alongside Ofcom’s existing regulation of broadcasting.
Ofcom has communicated the outcome and reasons for its decision to stakeholders. More information can be found here :http://media.ofcom.org.uk/news/2015/1520333/
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how Ofcom is ensuring that persons under the age of 18 are protected from inappropriate content in television and radio services.
Answered by Baroness Shields
Section One of the Broadcasting Code serves to protect children from unsuitable content in television and radio services. The rules in this section include specific provisions, and cover areas such as drugs, smoking, violence and dangerous behaviour, offensive language, sexual material and nudity. The rules also specifically protect children before the watershed on television at 9pm and at times when they are particularly likely to be listening to radio services. Ofcom enforces these rules robustly, and can impose statutory sanctions on any broadcaster that breaches them.
Asked by: Baroness Howe of Idlicote (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how a child is defined within the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.
Answered by Baroness Shields
For the purposes of protecting children from viewing or listening to unsuitable material, section one of the Broadcasting Code defines children as those aged under fifteen years. For the purporses of safeguarding children involved in programmes, the Code protects all young people under the age of eighteen.