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Written Question
Defamation
Wednesday 1st June 2022

Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps he has taken to prevent UK libel laws from being used to (a) prevent or (b) punish the exposure of wrongdoing in the international development sector by burdening those involved in such exposures with the costs of a legal defence.

Answered by Tom Pursglove - Minister of State (Minister for Legal Migration and Delivery)

The Government published a consultation paper (and call for evidence) in March 2022 setting out options for reform in defamation law and other areas of litigation subject to Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) which are designed to inhibit public interest activities.

We are determined to address the challenges this aggressive litigation presents. We are currently considering responses and intend to move quickly to pursue reforms, including legislation, to tackle this problem.


Written Question
Prison Sentences
Monday 25th April 2022

Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has made of steps to re-sentence prisoners currently serving a sentence of Imprisonment for public protection.

Answered by Kit Malthouse

The Government keeps the operation of sentences of imprisonment for public protection (IPP) under constant review. This includes continuing to ensure that IPP prisoners, as well as all prisoners serving indeterminate sentences, have every opportunity to progress towards safe release. This approach is working, with high numbers of unreleased IPP prisoners achieving a release decision each year. The number of IPP prisoners who have never been released stood at 1,602 on 31 December 2021, down from over 6,000 at its peak.

This Government has brought forward an amendment relating to IPP licence terminations as part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Bill, which is currently before Parliament. IPP offenders are eligible for Parole Board consideration of whether their IPP licence should be terminated, once 10 years has elapsed since their first release. Note that time spent in prison following recall under the IPP licence does not affect the calculation of the 10 year qualifying period.

The Bill will require the Secretary of State to refer all eligible IPP offenders to the Parole Board for consideration of licence termination. This will ensure that eligible IPP offenders have every opportunity to have their licence terminated.

The Government welcomes the Justice Select Committee inquiry into the IPP sentence and will carefully consider the recommendations in the final report.


Written Question
Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre
Monday 13th December 2021

Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the reason was for the time elapsed between 18 June 2021 and the termination of the contract with MTC to run Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre; and how much funding from the public purse has been transferred to MTC in connection with that contract since (a) the date in May 2021 when the contract with MTC was originally due to expire and (b) 18 June 2021.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The time elapsed between 18 June 2021 and the termination of the contract with MTC to run Rainsbrook Secure Training Centre was to allow for options to be considered on the future of the contract with MTC.

The decision to extend MTC’s contract was made in November 2019, more than a year before the Urgent Notification was invoked by inspectors. At the time Ofsted’s assessment was that Rainsbrook ‘requires improvement’. While this is not the level of performance we would expect from any of our providers, it did not give rise to the concerns which became apparent much later in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Payments to MTC have been solely to ensure staff are paid and that the fabric and security of the Rainsbrook building are maintained. MTC has received no additional payments from which they can profit. The centre was operating in a limited capacity beyond June 2021.


Written Question
Bullingdon Prison: Construction
Thursday 9th December 2021

Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Bullingdon, published on 1 December 2021, whether the new building planned at HMP Bullingdon will be used to reduce chronic overcrowding at the prison, or to accommodate additional prisoners; and whether it will be included in the Government’s target for additional prison places.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The delivery of a new building to accommodate more prisoners at HMP Bullingdon is to meet projected future demand.

Crowding in prisons is a longstanding issue that will not be easily addressed. We are investing £3.8 billion over the next three years to deliver 20,000 additional modern prison places (inclusive of the places at Bullingdon), including 2,000 temporary prison places across England and Wales by the mid-2020s. These additional prison places will have a positive impact on lowering the proportion of crowding within the prison estate by providing accommodation that is safe, decent and uncrowded. However, the extent to which the proportion of prisoners held in crowded accommodation will ultimately reduce will always be dependent on levels of demand in the system.


Written Question
Bullingdon Prison: Prisoners' Release
Thursday 9th December 2021

Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Bullingdon, published on 1 December 2021, what assessment he has made of the impact of prison leaver housing support measures taken during the outbreak of covid-19 on the proportions of prison leavers entering (a) settled accommodation and (b) transient accommodation; and what assessment he has made of the reasons for the fall in the proportion of prison leavers from HMP Bullingdon entering settled accommodation from 56 per cent in July 2019 to June 2020 and 50 per cent in July 2020 to June 2021.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

As part of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Justice provided up to 56 nights’ accommodation per individual to prison leavers at risk of homelessness. Data shows that 12% of offenders released from custody in the year to March 2021 were recorded as homeless or rough sleeping, which presents a decrease compared to the 16% recorded homeless or rough sleeping in the preceding year (2019/20)

As part of the Accelerator Prisons Project, HMP Bullingdon have been trialling the role of a Housing Specialist to strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders and reduce the number of prison leavers released with no fixed abode. The Housing Specialist has been in post from August 2021.


Written Question
Bullingdon Prison: Safety
Thursday 9th December 2021

Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Bullingdon, published on 1 December 2021, what lessons have been learned from the events during the week beginning 12 April that the Board describes as unsafe, including in relation to the impact of (a) extended covid restrictions on prison regimes, (b) staff inexperience and (c) staffing shortages.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The events described by the Independent Monitoring Board during the week beginning 12 April were especially challenging, due to a combination of factors at that time as a number of particularly complex prisoners needed support through Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) processes. Covid-19 impacted on regimes, and we recognise that this was both frustrating and distressing for prisoners. The Healthcare team also had staff shortfalls due to an agency staff issue which has now been resolved.

In April 2021 the prison had only just come out of a COVID outbreak, where the regime was significantly curtailed. It has improved since then, and HMP Bullingdon are now preparing plans to progress to Stage 1 of the National Framework which will increase time unlocked and purposeful activity for prisoners. The healthcare team have recruited additional staff to fill their vacancies, particularly in the mental health service. HMP Bullingdon will continue monitor staffing levels to ensure this doesn’t impact on the regime they can safely deliver.


Written Question
Bullingdon Prison: Coronavirus
Thursday 9th December 2021

Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP Bullingdon, published on 1 December 2021, what assessment he has made of the reasons why levels of violence at HMP Bullingdon reduced less as a result of covid restrictions than was the case at other prisons.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The safety of staff and prisoners remains our priority. Staff at HMP Bullingdon are working hard to reduce the number and severity of violent incidents and data is analysed on a weekly basis to understand local trends and themes. We know, for example, that debt and issues outside of the prison are key drivers of violence at HMP Bullingdon. A link has also been identified between on-wing violence and wing-based workers and, as a result, the prison has changed work allocation procedures to better manage that risk. Staff are also working more closely with the mental health team to better support and manage identifying incidents.


Written Question
Drugs: Organised Crime
Wednesday 8th December 2021

Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders in connection with county lines child criminal exploitation have been (a) applied for and (b) granted (i) in each of the last three years and (ii) in total since 31 July 2015.

Answered by James Cartlidge - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

Information on the number of Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders in connection with county lines child criminal exploitation cannot be separately identified from the overall number of Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders. Information on county lines involvement may be held on court records but to identify this would require access to individual court records which would be of disproportionate costs.

The Ministry of Justice has published information on outcomes at court, up to December 2020, available in the ‘Outcomes by Offence’ data tool, here:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/987715/outcomes-by-offence-2020.xlsx

Slavery and Trafficking Prevention Orders are counted within the category “otherwise dealt with”.


Written Question
Bedford Prison: Young Offenders
Tuesday 7th December 2021

Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HMP/YOI Bedford, published on 26 November 2021, whether it remains his policy to open a specific wing for young prisoners at HMP/YOI Bedford; and what his planned timescale is for that project.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

HMP Bedford intends to introduce a residential unit to support young adults aged 18-21 who exhibit complex needs. We are keeping the timescale under review and will provide an update in due course.


Written Question
Wealstun Prison: Smuggling
Tuesday 7th December 2021

Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 27 October 2021 to Question 58346 on Wealstun Prison: Smuggling, and with reference to the Report on an unannounced inspection of HMP Hull by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, published on 2 November 2021, page 12, whether all prisoners arriving at HMP Hull are checked with the X-ray body scanner; whether checking all prisoners with that scanner is compatible with the Use of X-ray body scanners (adult male prisons) Policy Framework, published on 19 May 2020; and whether he plans to amend that Policy Framework (a) to enable routine use of X-ray body scanners, (b) to enable random use of X-ray body scanners or (c) otherwise.

Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The use of X-ray technology must be approved in line with the Justification of Practices Involving Ionising Radiation Regulations 2004 (as amended). For HMPPS, the Justifying Authority is the Secretary of State for the Home Office. Approval from the Justifying Authority has been issued on the condition that a set of Requirements for Practice for Prisons are complied with and they state that each scan must only be conducted where there is intelligence or reasonable grounds to suspect that an item is being concealed by a person internally. The intelligence can be HMPPS owned intelligence and/or intelligence received from external agencies, either linked to specific prisoners or cohorts. A person must not be scanned routinely or on a random basis and at present there are no current plans to extend this criteria although we continually assess the best ways to reduce the conveyance of illicit items into prisons.