Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the likelihood of prisons becoming over capacity; and what plans he has to use Operation Safeguard.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
As our forecast published on 23 February (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-population-projections-2022-to-2027) sets out, we expect the prison population to rise over the coming years. This is due to the recruitment of an additional 23,000 police officers, the impact of courts recovering from Covid-19 and long-term sentencing reforms to protect the public by locking up the most dangerous criminals for longer.
Our number one priority is protecting the public and cutting crime by taking dangerous criminals off the streets. We are committed to delivering 20,000 additional modern prison places, the biggest prison build programme in a century. This will ensure the right conditions are in place to rehabilitate prisoners, helping to cut crime and protect the public.
Operation Safeguard is an agreement with the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) to bring around 400 police cells into temporary use to hold prisoners. Operation Safeguard was previously triggered in 2006 and then in 2007–2008.
On Monday 20 February, the first Operation Safeguard places became available for use in the North-East, North-West and in the Central Police regions. As of Friday 24 February, 83 prisoners have been held in Operation Safeguard places in police stations in the North-East, North-West and in the Central Police regions and have since been moved into prison. On Monday 20 February, HMPPS gave the Police the required 14 days’ notice to activate Operation Safeguard in remaining regions (for use from Monday 6 March). As Operation Safeguard is only being used from this week, there has been no cost to the department in the past 3 months.
HMPPS has engaged with the NPCC and relevant forces frequently on Operation Safeguard, and before police cells were used to house prisoners HMPPS issued clear operational guidance to staff and partners, and remain in regular contact.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the minimum level of training needed for Probation staff working in the Divisional Sex Offender Units within the Probation Service.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Probation staff who deliver accredited programmes in the Regional Sexual Offending Units are required to successfully complete a specific training programme provided by Interventions Services within His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS). Initial accredited programme training is mandatory, delivered both face-to-face and remotely. Following this, facilitators receive ongoing supervision and development. As an organisation committed to continued professional development for facilitators, we are currently reviewing the requirements for facilitator learning and development.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of the HMPPS proposal for the model of the Next Generation of Accredited Programmes.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
HMPPS is working to improve quality of delivery, align programmes with the latest international evidence about what works to reduce reoffending, better invest in Continuous Professional Development for delivery staff, and increase evaluation of programme impact and outcomes. These serve as the core foundation around which the ongoing design and development of future Accredited Programmes is centred.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the work of the Divisional Sex Offender Units within the Probation Service on the management and treatment of sex offenders.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The Probation Regional Sexual Offending Units deliver accredited programmes for men convicted of sexual offences. These programmes are operated to set standards overseen by an independent panel of experts. Delivery sites are expected to monitor delivery to ensure that programmes are delivered as designed. Additionally, quality of delivery of accredited programmes is overseen centrally by HMPPS Interventions Services using the Interventions Integrity Framework (IIF), which reflects best practice and accreditation standards.
Accredited programmes are only one part of the range of activities undertaken by the probation service as part of someone’s overall sentence plan to manage the risk presented by this group. These activities include assessment of risk and development of an effective risk management plan, which may include supervision, monitoring, and work with other agencies under Multi-Agency Public Protection Arra1ngements (MAPPA).
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department collects data on the number of domestic cases perpetrated by sons against mothers.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HM Courts and Tribunals Service does not collect or collate any data on the number of domestic abuse cases perpetrated by sons against mothers.
At an individual case file level, any relevant evidence adduced in court could include such details, but that would likely be partial or incomplete, and not capable of being reported on nationally.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department holds information on (a) the reasons for and (b) subsequent employment taken up by prison officers leaving the prison service.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
In answer to part (a): The quarterly HM Prison & Probation workforce quarterly publication covers staffing information, including leavers by reason by grade.
In response to part (b) this information is not recorded.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will (a) make assessment of the effectiveness of existing funding and (b) take steps to establish a cross-Departmental fund for women’s community services.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
Further to the £9.5 million invested in the women’s community sector since the publication of the Female Offender Strategy in June 2018, in September 2022 we announced funding of up to £21 million until 2025. All MoJ grant funding is subject to a rigorous bid process that requires successful recipients to report on the effectiveness of funding.
An Impact Assessment will be published alongside the forthcoming Female Offender Strategy Delivery Plan that will include an estimate of the number of additional women that could be supported through women’s services as a result of our funding.
The effectiveness of our funding for women’s community services will be evaluated and inform future funding decisions, overseen by the Ministerial Women in Criminal Justice System board.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much funding his Department has provided for education in prisons in England and Wales in the 2022-23 financial year; and what this funding has been spent on.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The full details on financial spend during this period will only be available following reconciliation which will be undertaken during financial year 2023-24.
In Wales, prison education is a devolved responsibility to the Welsh Government therefore we are unable to provide these figures.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what is the annual training budget for the Probation Service, excluding costs related to the Professional Qualification in Probation.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
This information is not available centrally.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what was the cost to the public purse of each Criminal Justice Board in 2022.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Criminal Justice Board did not meet in 2022, but Ministers regularly attended meetings to discuss criminal justice issues, such as the Rape Review Steering Committee. There was therefore no cost to the public purse. The next Criminal Justice Board meeting will be in the coming months.