Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complaints relating to prisons the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman received in each year since 1997-98; and what proportion of the prison population made a complaint in each year.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The following tables show: 1) the numbers of fatal incident investigations of transgender prisoners; 2) complaints received about racial equality issues; 3) complaints received relating to prisons; and 4) complaints received about transgender issues:
1) Fatal incident investigations of transgender prisoners started, by financial year
Year | PPO fatal incident investigations started |
2012-2013 | 1 |
2013-2014 | 0 |
2014-2015 | 1 |
2015-2016 | 2 |
2016-2017 | 4 |
Total | 9 |
2) Complaints received by the PPO about racial equality issues, by financial year
Year | Complaints Received | Eligible for investigation |
2012-2013 | 30 | 5 |
2013-2014 | 23 | 13 |
2014-2015 | 21 | 7 |
2015-2016 | 29 | 15 |
2016-2017 | 12 | 7 |
3) Complaints received relating to prisons, by financial year
Year | Complaints Received | Eligible for investigation |
2012-2013 | 4,894 | 2,704 |
2013-2014 | 4,438 | 2,033 |
2014-2015 | 4,582 | 2,310 |
2015-2016 | 4,3 | 2,288 |
2016-2017 | 4,657 | 2,505 |
4) Complaints received by the PPO about transgender equality issues, by financial year
Year | Complaints Received | Eligible for investigation |
2012-2013 | 6 | 5 |
2013-2014 | 3 | 1 |
2014-2015 | 4 | 2 |
2015-2016 | 10 | 6 |
2016-2017 | 5 | 4 |
We have been able to provide a consistent time series back to 2012/13. The time required to provide data going back to 1997/98 would incur disproportionate cost.
We do not hold information on the overall proportion of the prison population that made a complaint or the proportion of the estimated transgender prisoner population for the time periods requested. There may be other similar cases where the PPO investigated a death but were not aware of the person having previously identified as transgender and therefore their death would not be included in these figures.
The Government believes that prisons should be places of safety and reform. We welcome the work that the PPO has done to prevent self-inflicted deaths in custody, promote equality and inclusion, and improve safety in prisons more generally.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complaints related to black and ethnic minority equality issues in prisons the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman received in each year since 1997-98; and what proportion of the estimated black and ethnic minority prison population made a complaint in each year.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The following tables show: 1) the numbers of fatal incident investigations of transgender prisoners; 2) complaints received about racial equality issues; 3) complaints received relating to prisons; and 4) complaints received about transgender issues:
1) Fatal incident investigations of transgender prisoners started, by financial year
Year | PPO fatal incident investigations started |
2012-2013 | 1 |
2013-2014 | 0 |
2014-2015 | 1 |
2015-2016 | 2 |
2016-2017 | 4 |
Total | 9 |
2) Complaints received by the PPO about racial equality issues, by financial year
Year | Complaints Received | Eligible for investigation |
2012-2013 | 30 | 5 |
2013-2014 | 23 | 13 |
2014-2015 | 21 | 7 |
2015-2016 | 29 | 15 |
2016-2017 | 12 | 7 |
3) Complaints received relating to prisons, by financial year
Year | Complaints Received | Eligible for investigation |
2012-2013 | 4,894 | 2,704 |
2013-2014 | 4,438 | 2,033 |
2014-2015 | 4,582 | 2,310 |
2015-2016 | 4,3 | 2,288 |
2016-2017 | 4,657 | 2,505 |
4) Complaints received by the PPO about transgender equality issues, by financial year
Year | Complaints Received | Eligible for investigation |
2012-2013 | 6 | 5 |
2013-2014 | 3 | 1 |
2014-2015 | 4 | 2 |
2015-2016 | 10 | 6 |
2016-2017 | 5 | 4 |
We have been able to provide a consistent time series back to 2012/13. The time required to provide data going back to 1997/98 would incur disproportionate cost.
We do not hold information on the overall proportion of the prison population that made a complaint or the proportion of the estimated transgender prisoner population for the time periods requested. There may be other similar cases where the PPO investigated a death but were not aware of the person having previously identified as transgender and therefore their death would not be included in these figures.
The Government believes that prisons should be places of safety and reform. We welcome the work that the PPO has done to prevent self-inflicted deaths in custody, promote equality and inclusion, and improve safety in prisons more generally.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many investigations into the deaths of transgender prisoners the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman investigated in each year since 1997-98.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The following tables show: 1) the numbers of fatal incident investigations of transgender prisoners; 2) complaints received about racial equality issues; 3) complaints received relating to prisons; and 4) complaints received about transgender issues:
1) Fatal incident investigations of transgender prisoners started, by financial year
Year | PPO fatal incident investigations started |
2012-2013 | 1 |
2013-2014 | 0 |
2014-2015 | 1 |
2015-2016 | 2 |
2016-2017 | 4 |
Total | 9 |
2) Complaints received by the PPO about racial equality issues, by financial year
Year | Complaints Received | Eligible for investigation |
2012-2013 | 30 | 5 |
2013-2014 | 23 | 13 |
2014-2015 | 21 | 7 |
2015-2016 | 29 | 15 |
2016-2017 | 12 | 7 |
3) Complaints received relating to prisons, by financial year
Year | Complaints Received | Eligible for investigation |
2012-2013 | 4,894 | 2,704 |
2013-2014 | 4,438 | 2,033 |
2014-2015 | 4,582 | 2,310 |
2015-2016 | 4,3 | 2,288 |
2016-2017 | 4,657 | 2,505 |
4) Complaints received by the PPO about transgender equality issues, by financial year
Year | Complaints Received | Eligible for investigation |
2012-2013 | 6 | 5 |
2013-2014 | 3 | 1 |
2014-2015 | 4 | 2 |
2015-2016 | 10 | 6 |
2016-2017 | 5 | 4 |
We have been able to provide a consistent time series back to 2012/13. The time required to provide data going back to 1997/98 would incur disproportionate cost.
We do not hold information on the overall proportion of the prison population that made a complaint or the proportion of the estimated transgender prisoner population for the time periods requested. There may be other similar cases where the PPO investigated a death but were not aware of the person having previously identified as transgender and therefore their death would not be included in these figures.
The Government believes that prisons should be places of safety and reform. We welcome the work that the PPO has done to prevent self-inflicted deaths in custody, promote equality and inclusion, and improve safety in prisons more generally.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time taken was in each year since 2004-05 to transfer transgender prisoners who (a) did and (b) did not have a gender recognition certificate to prisons which correspond to the gender they identify as having.
Answered by Phillip Lee
The information requested is not available, as transgender prisoners are under no obligation to provide a gender recognition certificate if they have one.
The current Prison Service Instruction on the care and management of transgender offenders, issued in November 2016, sets out expected timescales for convening a transgender case board to consider the appropriate location for holding an individual prisoner. Timescales for transfer to a different prison location will depend upon individual circumstances, including the availability of suitable accommodation.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of (a) male and (b) female prisons contains prisoners identified as transgender.
Answered by Phillip Lee
According to a data collection exercise that took place between March and April 2016, there were 70 prisoners currently living in, or presenting in, a gender different to their sex assigned at birth. 26% of men’s prisons and 31% of women’s prisons contained at least one prisoner that identified as transgender.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, (a) how many witness care officers were employed in Witness Care Units and (b) how much was spent on Witness Care Units in each of the 42 Crown Prosecution Service areas in each year since 2009-10.
Answered by Phillip Lee
The Ministry of Justice is not responsible for funding or provision of Witness Care Units and staff and cannot provide the information requested.
The Ministry of Justice does fund the delivery of the court based Witness Service, delivered by Citizens Advice, which provides emotional and practical support to witnesses giving evidence at criminal courts across England and Wales.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people have been found guilty of offences under section 22 of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 in each year since 2004-05; and how many were fined the maximum amount stipulated for that offence.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The number of offenders found guilty at all courts for offences under S22 Gender Recognition Act 2004 is zero in England and Wales, from 2011 (earliest separately identifiable information available) to 2016.
Please be aware this is on a principal offence basis. Data prior to 2011 are recorded centrally by MoJ on the Court Proceedings Database as part of a miscellaneous grouping of offences, which cannot be separately analysed.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to include (a) sports coaches and (b) youth leaders within the Positions of Trust provisions of section 21 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Answered by Dominic Raab
The Government has no current plan to legislate in this way. However, the protection of children remains a priority for this Government and we keep this important area of the law under review.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the commitment in the Queen's Speech 2017 to introduce an independent public advocate to act for bereaved families after a public disaster, whether there will be a time limit on the advocate taking up cases; whether the advocate will be able to initiate inquiries on behalf of bereaved families; whether the advocate will be able to compel witnesses in an inquiry; and whether the advocate will be able to make formal recommendations to the Government to support people affected by such disasters.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
We will consult in the autumn on detailed proposals as to the Independent Public Advocate’s powers, duties and functions.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to include (a) sports coaches and (b) youth leaders within the Positions of Trust provisions of section 21 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Answered by Oliver Heald
The Purdah Rules for General Elections currently apply.