Written Question
Tuesday 24th January 2017
Asked by:
Lord Murphy of Torfaen (Labour - Life peer)
Question
to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they are working with prison chaplains and faith groups to protect prisoners’ right to practise their faith.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
- Shadow Minister (Justice)
The Prison Service is committed to enabling prisoners to practice their religion, and all prisons have multi faith chaplaincy teams to enable and facilitate this. Instructions and guidance on religious practice in prisons is set out in PSI 5/2016 (Faith and Pastoral Care for Prisoners).
Formal assurance visits (which include a focus group with prisoners) are made to each prison regularly by a member of the Chaplaincy HQ team to assure the Governor/Director and Head of Chaplaincy of compliance with the PSI. In this way, and through the use of the application system by which prisoners can request to see a Chaplain, any issues or barriers can be identified in a systematic way by local prison management and HQ. The Head of Chaplaincy meets regularly with Faith Advisers for the National Offender Management Service, as well as faith based organisations.
Written Question
Monday 23rd January 2017
Asked by:
Lord Murphy of Torfaen (Labour - Life peer)
Question
to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps have they taken to implement the recommendations of Dame Sally Coates’ review of education in prisons <i>Unlocking Potential: A review of education in prisons.</i>
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
- Shadow Minister (Justice)
The White Paper Prison Safety and Reform described the steps the Government has already taken to strip out unnecessary rules and governance from prison education contracts to allow governors more oversight and control. The document committed to implementing a number of recommendations from Dame Sally Coates’ review, and said that further plans will be set out in a detailed education strategy to be published later this year.
Written Question
Monday 23rd January 2017
Asked by:
Lord Murphy of Torfaen (Labour - Life peer)
Question
to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve support available to children and families of prisoners.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
- Shadow Minister (Justice)
As set out in our recent White Paper on Prison Safety and Reform, we are committed to giving prisoners the support and help they need to maintain and strengthen family ties.
Lord Farmer, working in partnership with Clinks, has been commissioned to investigate how supporting men in prison to engage with their families can help reduce reoffending and assist in addressing intergenerational crime. He is expected to report this Spring.
From this Autumn 2017, we will devolve the family service budgets to governors so that they have flexibility over how to spend it. In advance of that, we are re-procuring contracts so that governors have maximum flexibility and discretion to put in place the services that would best meet the needs of their prisoners. We are also reviewing best practice in existing service provision, including provision of family days and other family learning activities.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 18 Mar 2013
Crime and Courts Bill [Lords]
"I rise fleetingly to speak in support of my amendment 1, which relates to the payment of fines. It was moved in the other place by my noble friend Lord Touhig and its purpose is to introduced safeguards to ensure that the new financial penalties imposed on people who make …..."Lord Murphy of Torfaen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 12 Dec 2012
Church of England (Women Bishops)
"I am grateful, Mr Deputy Speaker, for the opportunity to take part in this debate. I do so with some trepidation. Although I am a Christian, I am a Roman Catholic, and we do not tend to have too many debates about democracy in the Church of Rome.
The hon. …..."Lord Murphy of Torfaen - View Speech
View all Lord Murphy of Torfaen (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Church of England (Women Bishops)
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 12 Dec 2012
Church of England (Women Bishops)
"That is the feeling that lay behind the thinking of my right hon. Friend the Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath (Mr Brown) when he was Prime Minister. He said that he would not take part in choosing bishops of the Church of England, and that that should be a matter …..."Lord Murphy of Torfaen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 12 Dec 2012
Church of England (Women Bishops)
"I understand the problems. I am in a difficult position in relation to the establishment of the Church of England. On balance, I think that it should remain established, but that the settlement of establishment might have to be changed, as my hon. Friend has just suggested. Its establishment sends …..."Lord Murphy of Torfaen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 12 Sep 2011
Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill
"I am grateful to be able to speak to the amendment in my name and the names of my hon. Friends. The amendment is specifically about how the Bill affects Wales. In particular, it is about the relationship between the National Assembly for Wales, the Welsh Government and the British …..."Lord Murphy of Torfaen - View Speech
View all Lord Murphy of Torfaen (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill
Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 12 Sep 2011
Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill
"The effect of the amendment would be to ask the Government to talk to the Assembly and the Welsh Assembly Government, so that between them they could work out an appropriate date for an election.
The hon. Member for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire (Simon Hart) said that he had …..."Lord Murphy of Torfaen - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 12 Sep 2011
Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill
"The Government prayed in aid an opinion poll that said that 7% of the people of England did not know anything about their police authorities or what they did. The hon. Gentleman might not be aware, however, that a recent survey in Wales showed that 82% of people did know …..."Lord Murphy of Torfaen - View Speech
View all Lord Murphy of Torfaen (Lab - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill