Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have died in each prison in each of the last six months.
Answered by Andrew Selous
The number of deaths in custody has increased in recent years, as the prison population and the proportion of older prisoners within it have increased.
The table attached shows the number of prisoners who have died in each prison in each of the last six months for which annual data has been published. The annual information on deaths in each prison is published in the Safety in Custody statistics available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-december-2014-and-annual
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many deaths in custody are under investigation by police as suspected homicide.
Answered by Andrew Selous
Every death in custody is subject to investigation by the police. The decisions as to whether or not to treat a particular death as a suspected homicide, and what information to disclose about the status of each ongoing investigation, are matters for the relevant police authorities in each case.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many homicides in prison have taken place in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Andrew Selous
This information is published in the Safety in Custody statistics available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/safety-in-custody-quarterly-update-to-december-2014-and-annual
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce reoffending.
Answered by Andrew Selous
Despite investment, reoffending rates remain stubbornly high. We are fundamentally reforming rehabilitation services by opening up the market to new providers and incentivising them to focus relentlessly on reducing reoffending. For the first time in recent history virtually every offender released from custody will receive statutory supervision and rehabilitation in the community. We remain on track to deliver these key reforms by 2015.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent on its contract for offender electronic monitoring in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14.
Answered by Andrew Selous
The table below sets out the amounts spent on electronic monitoring services provided by G4S and Serco for the years requested.
2011-12 | £116,906,087 |
2012-13 | £107,684,810 |
2013-14 | £36,987,915 |
The 2013-14 figure is significantly lower as we withheld payment in 2013 once we became aware of long-standing anomalies in the billing arrangements on these contracts. We have since recovered all money owed on the contracts from the suppliers.
In April 2014 Capita took over the management of the electronic monitoring service, on an interim basis until the new service comes into operation. Under these interim arrangements, G4S and Serco no longer have a direct role in delivering the service on the ground – and we have far greater oversight of costs and charging than previously, with direct access to the suppliers’ systems. We continue to manage these arrangements robustly.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 398W, on electronic tagging, what progress he has made on involving police and crime commissioners in the stakeholder group for offender electronic monitoring technology; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Selous
Following the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice’s announcement on 15 July 2014 of the award of contracts to four companies to deliver the new electronic monitoring service, I am keen to work closely with Police and Crime Commissioners, police forces and other key stakeholders across the criminal justice system to ensure that opportunities to make use of the capability offered by the technology are fully exploited. We will be taking action over the coming months to engage with stakeholders.
Asked by: Kelvin Hopkins (Independent - Luton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 398W, on electronic tagging, what progress he has made on engaging police forces as early adopters of the new arrangements for offender electronic monitoring technology; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Selous
Following the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice’s announcement on 15 July 2014 of the award of contracts to four companies to deliver the new electronic monitoring service, I am keen to work closely with Police and Crime Commissioners, police forces and other key stakeholders across the criminal justice system to ensure that opportunities to make use of the capability offered by the technology are fully exploited. We will be taking action over the coming months to engage with stakeholders.