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Written Question
Motor Sports: Wales
Thursday 14th July 2016

Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the adequacy of the current staffing levels in UK prisons.

Answered by Lord Faulks

Each prison’s staffing level is carefully designed to provide a safe, decent and secure environment for staff and prisoners. In March 2016 there were an extra 530 prison staff across the prison estate compared with January 2015; and NOMS will continue to recruit sufficient Prison Officers to support full delivery of the Benchmark in each establishment. A further £10 million has also been allocated to NOMS to specifically address safety concerns across the prison estate.

Written Question
Motor Sports: Wales
Thursday 14th July 2016

Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Prisons Inspectorate has raised concerns about the conditions in any UK prisons in the past 12 months, and if so, which.

Answered by Lord Faulks

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Prisons has a statutory duty to report to the Secretary of State for Justice on conditions in prisons, and the treatment of prisoners, in all prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales. For each inspection completed, a report is published which includes recommendations for improvement. These reports are all in the public domain and available from the Inspectorate’s website. Inspections of prisons in Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of their respective inspection authorities.

Written Question
EU Satellite Centre
Thursday 14th July 2016

Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are considering withdrawing the contracts for responsibility for certain prisons from private companies, and if so, which companies.

Answered by Lord Faulks

There are no plans to withdraw the contracts of any privately managed prisons.

Privately-managed prisons have been a key feature of the prison estate for 20 years. Some of our best prisons are operated by private providers, and they will continue to play a crucial role in rehabilitating offenders.

Written Question
Europol
Thursday 14th July 2016

Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any prisons have suffered arson attacks in the past 12 months.

Answered by Lord Faulks

The National Offender Management Service has a range of measures for monitoring fire safety in prisons. NOMS does not specifically monitor the number of arson incidents in prisons.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 02 Jul 2015
Human Rights and Civil Liberties

"My Lords, this has been a fascinating debate with so many different spheres and approaches. I was certainly struck by the most impressive speech of the noble Lord, Lord Cashman, and by the fact that he admits to being an atheist and a recovering Catholic. I suggest that he might …..."
Lord Roberts of Llandudno - View Speech

View all Lord Roberts of Llandudno (LD - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Human Rights and Civil Liberties
Speech in Lords Chamber - Mon 01 Jun 2015
Queen’s Speech

"My Lords, it is difficult for me to deny that the UK is in the middle of a constitutional crisis of earthquake dimensions. We deceive ourselves if we consider the present crisis to be a mere blip that will soon disappear, and that normal service will be resumed. It will …..."
Lord Roberts of Llandudno - View Speech

View all Lord Roberts of Llandudno (LD - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Queen’s Speech
Written Question
Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs: Crime
Wednesday 25th March 2015

Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people in each police authority were convicted of alcohol and drug offences in each of the last four years; and what are those figures as a percentage of the population in each police authority area.

Answered by Lord Faulks

Alcohol and drug offences can have a very serious impact on individuals and wider communities, while also being a burden on our courts. This is why we have tough sentences in place for the most serious offences, including a life sentence for supply of Class A drugs.

Our approach on drugs remains clear. We must prevent drug abuse in our communities, help dependent individuals through treatment and wider recovery support, while ensuring law enforcement protects society by stopping the supply.

The number of people found guilty at all courts of alcohol and drug offences, by police force area, in England and Wales, and the figures as a percentage of the population in each police authority area, from 2009 to 2013 (the latest available) can be viewed in the table.

Court proceedings data for 2014 are planned for publication in May 2015.

Persons found guilty at all courts for alcohol related offences (1) and drug offences (2) for each police force area in England and Wales, 2009 to 2013 (3)(4)
Found guilty% of population (5)
2009201020112012201320092010201120122013
Alcohol related offences(1)
Avon and Somerset1,6191,3281,3841,3041,2190.099%0.081%0.085%0.080%0.075%
Bedfordshire6206045465274080.098%0.095%0.086%0.083%0.064%
Cambridgeshire8047826876406320.098%0.095%0.084%0.078%0.077%
Cheshire1,3881,2371,2151,1809130.134%0.120%0.117%0.114%0.088%
Cleveland7706355195084760.138%0.113%0.093%0.091%0.085%
Cumbria5614704344764090.113%0.094%0.087%0.096%0.082%
Derbyshire9918377918046550.096%0.081%0.077%0.078%0.064%
Devon and Cornwall1,7241,5121,4961,4531,2540.102%0.089%0.088%0.086%0.074%
Dorset7506356505676440.099%0.084%0.086%0.075%0.085%
Durham7146325605104340.115%0.102%0.090%0.082%0.070%
Essex2,0161,6131,4211,0951,2540.115%0.092%0.081%0.062%0.072%
Gloucestershire6235385534164280.103%0.089%0.091%0.069%0.071%
Greater Manchester3,1192,6322,3102,5002,1340.115%0.097%0.085%0.092%0.079%
Hampshire2,0261,9211,7671,5191,4330.105%0.100%0.092%0.079%0.074%
Hertfordshire1,3121,2231,0621,0278230.115%0.107%0.093%0.090%0.072%
Humberside9768538127736780.106%0.092%0.088%0.084%0.074%
Kent1,8151,5721,4851,2531,1970.103%0.089%0.084%0.071%0.068%
Lancashire1,8861,5541,3951,2991,1580.128%0.106%0.095%0.088%0.079%
Leicestershire9748868267507250.094%0.086%0.080%0.073%0.070%
Lincolnshire8397186937197010.116%0.099%0.096%0.099%0.097%
City of London(6)79108117--1.033%1.412%1.530%0.000%0.000%
Merseyside1,6051,2321,1721,0379330.116%0.089%0.085%0.075%0.067%
Metropolitan Police8,8117,5886,6675,5605,5780.105%0.090%0.079%0.066%0.066%
Norfolk7776846598256760.089%0.079%0.076%0.095%0.078%
Northamptonshire7457216977366370.105%0.102%0.099%0.104%0.090%
Northumbria1,7191,4101,3281,2791,1160.120%0.099%0.093%0.089%0.078%
North Yorkshire9858047187506940.122%0.100%0.089%0.093%0.086%
Nottinghamshire1,2291,0219169778450.111%0.092%0.083%0.088%0.076%
South Yorkshire1,5221,1511,0669358610.112%0.085%0.078%0.069%0.063%
Staffordshire1,2471,0059809778590.113%0.091%0.089%0.088%0.078%
Suffolk7345776086926070.100%0.078%0.083%0.094%0.082%
Surrey1,0688879439739240.093%0.077%0.082%0.084%0.080%
Sussex1,6011,4261,3611,2861,0980.098%0.087%0.083%0.079%0.067%
Thames Valley2,0461,9751,9601,9031,8390.088%0.085%0.085%0.082%0.079%
Warwickshire7235854344674550.132%0.107%0.079%0.085%0.083%
West Mercia1,3151,2331,2901,3101,1590.106%0.100%0.104%0.106%0.094%
West Midlands3,4992,3542,5652,2631,8220.126%0.085%0.092%0.081%0.065%
West Yorkshire2,3321,9101,6901,6921,5000.104%0.085%0.075%0.075%0.067%
Wiltshire4744824674974760.068%0.069%0.067%0.072%0.069%
Dyfed Powys5805285215434410.112%0.102%0.101%0.105%0.085%
Gwent7054905785134360.122%0.085%0.100%0.089%0.075%
North Wales9067656356676230.131%0.111%0.092%0.096%0.090%
South Wales1,8251,4471,4621,1491,1310.141%0.112%0.113%0.089%0.087%
England and Wales62,05452,56549,44046,35142,2850.109%0.092%0.087%0.081%0.074%
All Drug Offences including Summary Drug Offences (2)
Avon and Somerset1,1131,3281,5971,8271,7580.068%0.081%0.098%0.112%0.108%
Bedfordshire3884814924704300.061%0.076%0.078%0.074%0.068%
Cambridgeshire5705996535865920.069%0.073%0.080%0.071%0.072%
Cheshire7248017287937530.070%0.077%0.070%0.077%0.073%
Cleveland1,0201,0239228108230.182%0.183%0.165%0.145%0.147%
Cumbria6406467936416030.128%0.130%0.159%0.129%0.121%
Derbyshire6878349058138240.067%0.081%0.088%0.079%0.080%
Devon and Cornwall1,2121,4261,4871,0691,0100.072%0.084%0.088%0.063%0.060%
Dorset5775554764384290.076%0.074%0.063%0.058%0.057%
Durham4284603363143100.069%0.074%0.054%0.051%0.050%
Essex1,1611,2551,3611,0171,2160.066%0.072%0.078%0.058%0.069%
Gloucestershire5244944034204460.087%0.082%0.067%0.069%0.074%
Greater Manchester3,1973,8303,8873,3472,9850.118%0.141%0.143%0.123%0.110%
Hampshire1,7141,8171,7361,8481,8600.089%0.094%0.090%0.096%0.097%
Hertfordshire9851,1681,1501,1741,1150.086%0.102%0.101%0.103%0.098%
Humberside7267368728788760.079%0.080%0.095%0.095%0.095%
Kent1,2931,4311,3281,1881,3120.073%0.081%0.075%0.067%0.074%
Lancashire1,6551,9121,6731,7401,4600.113%0.130%0.114%0.118%0.099%
Leicestershire5386775665524740.052%0.066%0.055%0.053%0.046%
Lincolnshire4564524683874160.063%0.062%0.065%0.053%0.057%
City of London(6)7897120--1.020%1.268%1.569%0.000%0.000%
Merseyside3,8444,1713,8653,5603,0070.277%0.301%0.279%0.257%0.217%
Metropolitan Police12,69513,92413,76412,72213,3790.151%0.166%0.164%0.151%0.159%
Norfolk5806797107077230.067%0.078%0.082%0.081%0.083%
Northamptonshire3355074344194980.047%0.072%0.061%0.059%0.070%
Northumbria1,4601,5471,9191,8431,5610.102%0.108%0.134%0.129%0.109%
North Yorkshire5766166155264880.072%0.077%0.076%0.065%0.061%
Nottinghamshire1,0191,1871,2039428750.092%0.107%0.109%0.085%0.079%
South Yorkshire1,3641,5201,5471,5081,5440.100%0.112%0.114%0.111%0.114%
Staffordshire6267016517258430.057%0.063%0.059%0.065%0.076%
Suffolk5344154825516340.073%0.056%0.065%0.075%0.086%
Surrey6106207499769140.053%0.054%0.065%0.085%0.079%
Sussex1,4201,4201,4141,2911,2140.087%0.087%0.087%0.079%0.074%
Thames Valley1,9161,9291,7141,8391,8680.083%0.083%0.074%0.079%0.081%
Warwickshire2052991842152100.037%0.054%0.034%0.039%0.038%
West Mercia6066056216766190.049%0.049%0.050%0.055%0.050%
West Midlands3,1712,9402,9992,7622,5290.114%0.106%0.108%0.099%0.091%
West Yorkshire2,1052,4342,3402,2411,9650.093%0.108%0.104%0.100%0.087%
Wiltshire4073283173204070.059%0.047%0.046%0.046%0.059%
Dyfed Powys7058287979389950.136%0.160%0.154%0.182%0.193%
Gwent5425376316286270.094%0.093%0.109%0.108%0.108%
North Wales5376195534584900.078%0.089%0.080%0.066%0.071%
South Wales1,8912,1332,1961,9661,9050.146%0.165%0.170%0.152%0.147%
England and Wales56,83461,98161,65858,12556,9870.100%0.109%0.108%0.102%0.100%
-' =- Nil
(1) Includes offences under sections 6(2B)(2C) of Licensing Act 1902, and sections 137,138,141,142,145,146,147,149(1)(3)(4)7A, 7B,150,151,152,153,156,157 of Licencing Act 2003 ,Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 S.1,Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 SS.1(4), 1A(4),2(1)(2),ss5B(3),5C(4), 5D(3)1(2)(3),1A(2)(3),3(10)5B(2)5C(3)5D(2)5C(5),6(2), Policing and Crime Act 2009 S.30, Road Traffic Act 1988 S.5(1)(a)(b),Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S.12,Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 Sch.12 P.5
(2) Includes Sections 12, 13, 19(a), (b) Criminal Justice Co-Operation Act 1990, RR.6(5), 7, 8, & 9(2) Controlled Drugs (Drug Precursors)(Community External Trade) Regs 2008, Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, Customs and Excise Management Act 1979 (SS.50(2), (3) & (5), 68 (2) & (4) & 170(1), (2), (3) & (4) & Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 SS 327-330, 333, 334 (1,2) & 336 (5) & (6)
(3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
(4) The conviction statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
(5) Population estimates mid 2013 England and Wales.
(6) City of London Local Justice Area abolished on 31 December 2011, and merged into Central London Local Justice Area. These data recorded under Metropolitan Police henceforth
Source: Justice Statistics Analytical Services - Ministry of Justice.
Ref: PQs HL5791

Written Question
Freedom of Expression
Wednesday 17th December 2014

Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what provisions they have put in place to safeguard the exercise of free speech in the United Kingdom.

Answered by Lord Faulks

The United Kingdom is bound by its obligations under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which makes clear that everyone has the right to freedom of expression. It also makes clear that this right carries duties and responsibilities and consequently can be restricted for the reasons set out in Article 10 where prescribed by law and necessary in a democratic society.

In the Coalition Agreement the Government agreed that the obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, including Article 10, will continue to be enshrined in UK law.

The removal earlier this year of the word “insulting” from the offence under section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 is a concrete example of the Government keeping our legislation under review and ensuring it strikes the right balance in protecting freedom of speech.

Written Question
Verne Prison
Tuesday 24th June 2014

Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether it is their intention for on-site legal surgeries be held in HMP The Verne.

Answered by Lord Faulks

Earlier this year the Legal Aid Agency conducted an expression of interest exercise among existing contract holders providing immigration surgeries at other Immigration Removal Centres, with four providers confirmed as interested in operating surgeries in HMP The Verne. Communications will be issued shortly regarding when these services are likely to commence.

Written Question
Verne Prison
Tuesday 24th June 2014

Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to make legal aid-funded immigration representation available to migrants detained in HMP The Verne.

Answered by Lord Faulks

Currently, advice on immigration matters within the scope of Legal Aid can be given to detainees in HMP The Verne by any provider that holds an Immigration & Asylum contract with the Legal Aid Agency (LAA).

Earlier this year the LAA conducted an expression of interest exercise among existing contract holders providing immigration surgeries at other Immigration Removal Centres, with four providers confirmed as interested in operating surgeries in HMP The Verne. Communications will be issued shortly regarding when these services are likely to commence.