Asked by: Baroness Porter of Fulwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many foreign national offenders have been transferred under the voluntary transfer mechanism provided by the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons in the past year.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
All convicted foreign national offenders (FNOs) who receive a custodial sentence are referred to the Home Office to be considered for deportation. On entry to custody, FNOs are informed of the likelihood of deportation and encouraged to take up removal schemes including prisoner transfer agreements.
The Ministry of Justice has invested £5 million on 82 FNO specialists to oversee swift removals from prisons. These specialists are working with the Home Office to remove FNOs who have no right to remain in the United Kingdom, by encouraging compliance, and by actively investigating, and seeking to remove, barriers to removal, thereby reducing the costs to the taxpayer and helping to protect the public.
These specialists have also received training on prisoner transfers and in addition to their main function of ensuring deportation under the Early Removal Scheme, they also encourage FNOs to apply for voluntary repatriation under prisoner transfer agreements including the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Prisoner Transfer is only one of the mechanisms where FNOs can be removed early.
14 FNOs have been successfully transferred voluntarily under this Convention between July 2024 and 31 December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.
There were no FNOs transferred to Poland under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Poland on Cooperation in Criminal Justice Matters in November 2024 and the end of December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.
Asked by: Baroness Porter of Fulwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage foreign national offenders to use the voluntary transfer mechanism under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
All convicted foreign national offenders (FNOs) who receive a custodial sentence are referred to the Home Office to be considered for deportation. On entry to custody, FNOs are informed of the likelihood of deportation and encouraged to take up removal schemes including prisoner transfer agreements.
The Ministry of Justice has invested £5 million on 82 FNO specialists to oversee swift removals from prisons. These specialists are working with the Home Office to remove FNOs who have no right to remain in the United Kingdom, by encouraging compliance, and by actively investigating, and seeking to remove, barriers to removal, thereby reducing the costs to the taxpayer and helping to protect the public.
These specialists have also received training on prisoner transfers and in addition to their main function of ensuring deportation under the Early Removal Scheme, they also encourage FNOs to apply for voluntary repatriation under prisoner transfer agreements including the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Prisoner Transfer is only one of the mechanisms where FNOs can be removed early.
14 FNOs have been successfully transferred voluntarily under this Convention between July 2024 and 31 December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.
There were no FNOs transferred to Poland under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Poland on Cooperation in Criminal Justice Matters in November 2024 and the end of December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.
Asked by: Baroness Porter of Fulwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many foreign national offenders they have attempted to deport since 4 July 2024; and how many of those deportations have been blocked under the European Convention of Human Rights.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Of the total returns since 5 July 2024, 4,436 were of FNOs. This is an increase of 14% compared to the 3,879 FNO returns in the same period 12 months prior (FNO returns include both enforced and voluntary returns).
Within the FNO returns, there have been 2,274 early removal scheme (ERS) returns, which is a 11% increase compared to the 2,050 in the same period 12 months prior.
Figures on the number of deportations that did not proceed due to the legal challenges, whether under the ECHR or otherwise, is not currently available from published statistics.
Work is currently underway to improve the quality of information held by the department on FNOs. If this work progresses as planned, the Home Office intend to publish more detailed information on FNOs subject to deportation.
Asked by: Baroness Porter of Fulwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of foreign national offenders, and how many foreign national offenders, have been transferred to Poland to serve their sentences since the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Poland on Cooperation in Criminal Justice Matters was signed in November 2024.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
All convicted foreign national offenders (FNOs) who receive a custodial sentence are referred to the Home Office to be considered for deportation. On entry to custody, FNOs are informed of the likelihood of deportation and encouraged to take up removal schemes including prisoner transfer agreements.
The Ministry of Justice has invested £5 million on 82 FNO specialists to oversee swift removals from prisons. These specialists are working with the Home Office to remove FNOs who have no right to remain in the United Kingdom, by encouraging compliance, and by actively investigating, and seeking to remove, barriers to removal, thereby reducing the costs to the taxpayer and helping to protect the public.
These specialists have also received training on prisoner transfers and in addition to their main function of ensuring deportation under the Early Removal Scheme, they also encourage FNOs to apply for voluntary repatriation under prisoner transfer agreements including the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Prisoner Transfer is only one of the mechanisms where FNOs can be removed early.
14 FNOs have been successfully transferred voluntarily under this Convention between July 2024 and 31 December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.
There were no FNOs transferred to Poland under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Poland on Cooperation in Criminal Justice Matters in November 2024 and the end of December 2024. Data on repatriations after 1 January 2025 is not able to be shared.
Asked by: Baroness Porter of Fulwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reduce the number of foreign national offenders held on remand.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The decision to remand any individual in custody or to grant bail for is solely a matter for the courts and independent judiciary acting in accordance with the law.
We are working with partners across the system to ensure that the recent growth in the remand population is effectively managed.
The Home Office has trialled starting deportation casework earlier in the foreign national offender (FNO) journey, focusing on FNOs awaiting sentencing.
So far, this process has proved effective in increasing the time available to effect departures and has now been expanded to all prisons.
Since 5 July 2024, we have returned over 4,000 FNOs which is more than in the same period 12 months prior.
Asked by: Baroness Porter of Fulwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the upcoming changes to employers National Insurance contributions will have on cancer charities; and how that impact will be factored into the development of the national cancer plan.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Government understands the important work being delivered by voluntary organisations and recognises the need to protect the smallest businesses and charities, which is why it has more than doubled the Employment Allowance to £10,500, meaning more than half of businesses with National Insurance Contributions (NICs) liabilities either gain or see no change next year. Businesses and charities will still be able to claim employer NICs reliefs where eligible.
We have taken necessary decisions to fix the foundations in the public finances at the Autumn Budget 2024, which has enabled the spending review settlement of a £22.6 billion increase in resource spending for the Department from 2023/24 outturn to 2025/26.
The National Cancer Plan will focus on how we make things better for patients through reforming the cancer sector and improving efficiency, building on the steps announced in the Elective Reform Plan. This will support more scrupulous and effective use of funds in the future. We are committed to working closely with cancer charities to shape the long-term vision for cancer. Alongside the call for evidence, we will consult with partners and patient groups to get their views and priorities.
Asked by: Baroness Porter of Fulwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to identify, and learn from, examples of best practice among charitable organisations that work with people in prisons, or help former prisoners readjust upon release.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations already play an enormous role in the vital work of preparing prisoners for release, and of helping them to adapt on their return to the community. 76% of current Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) contracts – support to help people in custody or on probation to reduce their risk of re-offending – are led by VCSEs.
In addition, the CRS General Grant Scheme provides funding exclusively to third-sector services that promote rehabilitation and desistance, as well as those providing support to people with shared protected characteristics or shared experiences. To date, 32 grants have been awarded.
His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) also works with a wide range of charitable organisations to deliver prison education. These include the Shannon Trust, National Literacy Trust, Prisoners Education Trust, The Clink and St Giles. Many have been funded to develop their work through HMPPS grants or contracts.
To inform the development of a new generation of CRS contracts, national engagement events have been held throughout the design phase. These events have been well attended by third-sector organisations and have ensured that the providers’ voice is fully taken into account in designing the new specification. Resources have been dedicated to ensuring a role for third sector organisations in the new generation of contracts.
We are keen to evaluate activities, wherever possible, to learn from best practice, and we encourage charity providers themselves to evaluate their work. The ability to demonstrate good outcomes can help to support further bids for funding.
Many suppliers of Prison Education Services, of which there are over 400, are charitable organisations. Best practice is shared regularly with Heads of Education, Skills and Work in HMPPS, and information is regularly distributed from potential providers to all prison sites.
Asked by: Baroness Porter of Fulwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of how the capacity of charitable organisations working with people in prisons, or helping former prisoners readjust upon release, could be scaled.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations already play an enormous role in the vital work of preparing prisoners for release, and of helping them to adapt on their return to the community. 76% of current Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) contracts – support to help people in custody or on probation to reduce their risk of re-offending – are led by VCSEs.
In addition, the CRS General Grant Scheme provides funding exclusively to third-sector services that promote rehabilitation and desistance, as well as those providing support to people with shared protected characteristics or shared experiences. To date, 32 grants have been awarded.
His Majesty’s Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) also works with a wide range of charitable organisations to deliver prison education. These include the Shannon Trust, National Literacy Trust, Prisoners Education Trust, The Clink and St Giles. Many have been funded to develop their work through HMPPS grants or contracts.
To inform the development of a new generation of CRS contracts, national engagement events have been held throughout the design phase. These events have been well attended by third-sector organisations and have ensured that the providers’ voice is fully taken into account in designing the new specification. Resources have been dedicated to ensuring a role for third sector organisations in the new generation of contracts.
We are keen to evaluate activities, wherever possible, to learn from best practice, and we encourage charity providers themselves to evaluate their work. The ability to demonstrate good outcomes can help to support further bids for funding.
Many suppliers of Prison Education Services, of which there are over 400, are charitable organisations. Best practice is shared regularly with Heads of Education, Skills and Work in HMPPS, and information is regularly distributed from potential providers to all prison sites.
Asked by: Baroness Porter of Fulwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they keep a record of all charities (1) working with prisoners, and (2) working with former prisoners helping them to readjust after release.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice maintains a contract register to record and report against all suppliers, including charities, who provide goods or services to the Department on a contracted basis. Details of awarded contracts with a minimum value of £10,000 or more are published on Government Contracts Finder.
All HMPPS contracts and grants, in which providers work with prisoners and former prisoners, including those awarded to charities are recorded on the Department’s contract management system and the Government Grants Information System (GGIS).
Volunteering arrangements do not operate under contract as there is no financial consideration. For unpaid work placements, these are formalised through Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) which are signed by both the placement provider and the Ministry of Justice. These arrangements are not held on the contract register; however a list of MoUs is maintained.
The provision of services to prison leavers through charities or other Government Department/Local Authority contracts was previously a blind spot in which no formal agreement was in place as these services are delivered at no costs to the Ministry of Justice. This has been rectified through the development of a collaboration agreement, which is a relatively new initiative and we are working with regions to develop these and collate the information centrally to enable the tracking of these arrangements through Commissioning and Contract Management teams.
Asked by: Baroness Porter of Fulwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they keep a record of all charities currently contracted by or receiving grants from (1) the Ministry of Justice or any of its agencies, or (2) HM Prison and Probation Service.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice maintains a contracts register to record and report against all suppliers, including charities, who provide goods or services to the Department on a contracted basis. Details of awarded contracts with a minimum value of £10,000 or more are published on Gov Contracts Finder.
All grants included those awarded to charities are recorded on the Government Grants Information System (GGIS). The Cabinet Office publishes grants data on gov.uk. Data is published one year in arrears, so data for 2022/23 was published in March 2024.