Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What recent discussions he has had with the Attorney General on the effect of CPS administrative finalisation on access to justice.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Secretary of State spoke to the Attorney General last month about the work underway to improve the quality of case files and evidence issues. We welcome the work the police and CPS are doing to improve case file quality, which will reduce the number of cases that are administratively finalised.
Victims must have the help they need which is why we are boosting funding for support services by 85 percent. This will fund over 1,000 Independent Sexual and Domestic Violence Advisors and other services including crisis helplines.
At the same time our Rape Action Plan is driving the wholesale changes needed to tackle this horrific crime and restore faith in the justice system.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
What assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of funding for the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
We acknowledge that Cafcass continues to experience high levels of demand while managing a rise in the number of open cases.
The Ministry of Justice has allocated an additional £3.4m this year to help Cafcass meet these challenges.
Cafcass has in place a protocol to, where necessary, prioritise cases in local service areas so it can continue to meet the needs of the most vulnerable children and families.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the (a) number and (b) proportion of prison staff who have been tested for covid-19.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Department of Health and Social Care is solely responsible for testing for Covid-19 both in the community and in secure settings. As such, we do not hold data on staff testing.
On 24 April, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced the rollout of Covid-19 testing for all essential workers and symptomatic members of their household, including prison staff, those working in Approved Premises (APs) and probation staff (including private sector service providers) in England. We have referred over 4,000 HMPPS staff for testing to date.
In Wales, testing for prison, AP and probation staff and symptomatic members of their household is being delivered through local resilience forum arrangements and through local health boards.
What we do know is the number of confirmed cases among those who have been tested, which was 947 as of Friday, 5 June. This data is self-reported.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the availability of personal protective equipment for prison staff during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Personal protective equipment is critical to protect staff and those in our care where close contact is necessary and unavoidable. There is currently adequate stock and forward supply of PPE, in accordance with public health advice.
We have stock in the hundreds of thousands for aprons, coveralls, eye protection, pairs of gloves, respirator masks and fluid-resistant surgical masks, as well as hand sanitiser. However, we are making continued preparations and keeping demand for PPE under regular review as we move into the next phase of managing this outbreak.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the number of prisoners sharing cells in each prison in each of the last three months.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
We are implementing our compartmentalisation strategy (isolating the symptomatic; quarantining new arrivals; and shielding the vulnerable) in the prison estate. The latest PHE modelling indicates this strategy has shown early signs of success. We are increasing headroom in the prison estate to better enable prisons to implement compartmentalisation and reduce the number of prisoners sharing cells. This has been actioned through a combination of the early release of low-risk offenders, provision of temporary accommodation and expediting remand hearings to reduce the unsentenced population.
We are installing over 1,000 temporary cells to increase space and help reduce the spread of the virus. These units are being placed where there are the highest number of shared cells, a lack of in-cell sanitation and where there are high numbers of vulnerable prisoners. We have also opened an Annex at HMP/YOI Rochester to hold up to 70 men.
Upon arrival into custody, all prisoners’ suitability to share a cell is risk assessed. These assessments are based on numerous factors including health concerns.
The table below identifies the number of prisoners, broken down by establishment, sharing cells holding two or more people as at 27 March, 24 April and 29 May 2020. The detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system
Total number of prisoners sharing cells | |||
Prison | Mar-20 | Apr-20 | May-20 |
Altcourse | 731 | 688 | 684 |
Ashfield | 150 | 150 | 152 |
Askham Grange | 67 | 68 | 0 |
Aylesbury | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bedford | 268 | 250 | 242 |
Belmarsh | 426 | 467 | 476 |
Berwyn | 1,164 | 1,098 | 1,056 |
Birmingham | 587 | 479 | 582 |
Brinsford | 254 | 256 | 290 |
Bristol | 230 | 221 | 217 |
Brixton | 610 | 536 | 532 |
Bronzefield | 138 | 120 | 104 |
Buckley Hall | 88 | 80 | 72 |
Bullingdon | 750 | 699 | 737 |
Bure | 38 | 14 | 10 |
Cardiff | 420 | 408 | 398 |
Channings Wood | 94 | 62 | 44 |
Chelmsford | 350 | 322 | 302 |
Coldingley | 40 | 24 | 0 |
Cookham Wood | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dartmoor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Deerbolt | 14 | 16 | 14 |
Doncaster | 775 | 755 | 760 |
Dovegate | 226 | 218 | 224 |
Downview | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Drake Hall | 97 | 65 | 41 |
Durham | 754 | 850 | 744 |
East Sutton Park | 93 | 95 | 86 |
Eastwood Park | 111 | 93 | 80 |
Elmley | 686 | 703 | 683 |
Erlestoke | 86 | 78 | 64 |
Exeter | 320 | 352 | 334 |
Featherstone | 130 | 110 | 110 |
Feltham | 196 | 178 | 130 |
Ford | 252 | 234 | 212 |
Forest Bank | 823 | 873 | 801 |
Foston Hall | 120 | 118 | 142 |
Frankland | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Full Sutton | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Garth | 28 | 22 | 22 |
Gartree | 22 | 24 | 22 |
Grendon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Guys Marsh | 136 | 120 | 98 |
Hatfield | 98 | 58 | 16 |
Haverigg | 0 | 0 | 0 |
High Down | 686 | 668 | 633 |
Highpoint | 286 | 248 | 236 |
Hindley | 240 | 254 | 248 |
Hewell | 612 | 606 | 508 |
Hollesley Bay | 78 | 73 | 44 |
Holme House | 776 | 730 | 724 |
Hull | 594 | 608 | 555 |
Humber | 358 | 296 | 260 |
Huntercombe | 234 | 230 | 208 |
Isis | 312 | 290 | 246 |
Isle Of Wight | 150 | 156 | 156 |
Kirkham | 86 | 24 | 16 |
Kirklevington Grange | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Lancaster Farms | 126 | 66 | 120 |
Leeds | 793 | 654 | 746 |
Leicester | 243 | 231 | 219 |
Lewes | 304 | 274 | 176 |
Leyhill | 17 | 2 | 0 |
Lincoln | 492 | 476 | 422 |
Lindholme | 344 | 332 | 336 |
Littlehey | 222 | 184 | 134 |
Liverpool | 384 | 430 | 412 |
Long Lartin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Low Newton | 50 | 18 | 12 |
Lowdham Grange | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Maidstone | 64 | 64 | 52 |
Manchester | 354 | 326 | 284 |
Moorland | 434 | 388 | 258 |
New Hall | 61 | 45 | 32 |
North Sea Camp | 259 | 252 | 164 |
Northumberland | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Norwich | 308 | 275 | 250 |
Nottingham | 420 | 428 | 402 |
Oakwood | 962 | 862 | 810 |
Onley | 154 | 162 | 154 |
Parc | 800 | 706 | 736 |
Pentonville | 814 | 634 | 668 |
Peterborough | 358 | 362 | 398 |
Peterborough Female | 116 | 100 | 74 |
Portland | 146 | 142 | 128 |
Prescoed | 78 | 78 | 36 |
Preston | 517 | 535 | 441 |
Ranby | 396 | 336 | 322 |
Risley | 216 | 198 | 178 |
Rochester | 322 | 274 | 218 |
Rye Hill | 172 | 160 | 158 |
Send | 14 | 0 | 0 |
Springhill | 164 | 160 | 126 |
Stafford | 584 | 562 | 508 |
Standford Hill | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Stocken | 238 | 242 | 240 |
Stoke Heath | 322 | 318 | 302 |
Styal | 234 | 235 | 235 |
Sudbury | 372 | 298 | 232 |
Swaleside | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Swansea | 343 | 303 | 254 |
Swinfen Hall | 98 | 96 | 62 |
Thameside | 798 | 710 | 680 |
The Mount | 224 | 218 | 220 |
The Verne | 28 | 27 | 21 |
Thorn Cross | 84 | 58 | 36 |
Usk | 239 | 219 | 207 |
Wakefield | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wandsworth | 1,176 | 1,146 | 1,120 |
Warren Hill | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wayland | 344 | 304 | 286 |
Wealstun | 50 | 0 | 0 |
Werrington | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wetherby | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Whatton | 190 | 136 | 112 |
Whitemoor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Winchester | 236 | 222 | 238 |
Woodhill | 80 | 54 | 24 |
Wormwood Scrubs | 601 | 558 | 601 |
Wymott | 132 | 68 | 16 |
Total | 32,271 | 30,017 | 28,181 |
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) items of personal protective equipment, (b) masks and (c) bottles of hand gel have been delivered to prisons since the start of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Personal protective equipment is critical to protect staff and those in our care where close contact is necessary and unavoidable. There is currently adequate stock and forward supply of PPE, in accordance with public health advice.
We have stock in the hundreds of thousands for aprons, coveralls, eye protection, pairs of gloves, respirator masks and fluid-resistant surgical masks, as well as hand sanitiser. However, we are making continued preparations and keeping demand for PPE under regular review as we move into the next phase of managing this outbreak.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to reduce the level of sharing of prison bedrooms during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
We are implementing our compartmentalisation strategy (isolating the symptomatic; quarantining new arrivals; and shielding the vulnerable) in the prison estate. The latest PHE modelling indicates this strategy has shown early signs of success. We are increasing headroom in the prison estate to better enable prisons to implement compartmentalisation and reduce the number of prisoners sharing cells. This has been actioned through a combination of the early release of low-risk offenders, provision of temporary accommodation and expediting remand hearings to reduce the unsentenced population.
We are installing over 1,000 temporary cells to increase space and help reduce the spread of the virus. These units are being placed where there are the highest number of shared cells, a lack of in-cell sanitation and where there are high numbers of vulnerable prisoners. We have also opened an Annex at HMP/YOI Rochester to hold up to 70 men.
Upon arrival into custody, all prisoners’ suitability to share a cell is risk assessed. These assessments are based on numerous factors including health concerns.
The table below identifies the number of prisoners, broken down by establishment, sharing cells holding two or more people as at 27 March, 24 April and 29 May 2020. The detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system
Total number of prisoners sharing cells | |||
Prison | Mar-20 | Apr-20 | May-20 |
Altcourse | 731 | 688 | 684 |
Ashfield | 150 | 150 | 152 |
Askham Grange | 67 | 68 | 0 |
Aylesbury | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bedford | 268 | 250 | 242 |
Belmarsh | 426 | 467 | 476 |
Berwyn | 1,164 | 1,098 | 1,056 |
Birmingham | 587 | 479 | 582 |
Brinsford | 254 | 256 | 290 |
Bristol | 230 | 221 | 217 |
Brixton | 610 | 536 | 532 |
Bronzefield | 138 | 120 | 104 |
Buckley Hall | 88 | 80 | 72 |
Bullingdon | 750 | 699 | 737 |
Bure | 38 | 14 | 10 |
Cardiff | 420 | 408 | 398 |
Channings Wood | 94 | 62 | 44 |
Chelmsford | 350 | 322 | 302 |
Coldingley | 40 | 24 | 0 |
Cookham Wood | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dartmoor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Deerbolt | 14 | 16 | 14 |
Doncaster | 775 | 755 | 760 |
Dovegate | 226 | 218 | 224 |
Downview | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Drake Hall | 97 | 65 | 41 |
Durham | 754 | 850 | 744 |
East Sutton Park | 93 | 95 | 86 |
Eastwood Park | 111 | 93 | 80 |
Elmley | 686 | 703 | 683 |
Erlestoke | 86 | 78 | 64 |
Exeter | 320 | 352 | 334 |
Featherstone | 130 | 110 | 110 |
Feltham | 196 | 178 | 130 |
Ford | 252 | 234 | 212 |
Forest Bank | 823 | 873 | 801 |
Foston Hall | 120 | 118 | 142 |
Frankland | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Full Sutton | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Garth | 28 | 22 | 22 |
Gartree | 22 | 24 | 22 |
Grendon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Guys Marsh | 136 | 120 | 98 |
Hatfield | 98 | 58 | 16 |
Haverigg | 0 | 0 | 0 |
High Down | 686 | 668 | 633 |
Highpoint | 286 | 248 | 236 |
Hindley | 240 | 254 | 248 |
Hewell | 612 | 606 | 508 |
Hollesley Bay | 78 | 73 | 44 |
Holme House | 776 | 730 | 724 |
Hull | 594 | 608 | 555 |
Humber | 358 | 296 | 260 |
Huntercombe | 234 | 230 | 208 |
Isis | 312 | 290 | 246 |
Isle Of Wight | 150 | 156 | 156 |
Kirkham | 86 | 24 | 16 |
Kirklevington Grange | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Lancaster Farms | 126 | 66 | 120 |
Leeds | 793 | 654 | 746 |
Leicester | 243 | 231 | 219 |
Lewes | 304 | 274 | 176 |
Leyhill | 17 | 2 | 0 |
Lincoln | 492 | 476 | 422 |
Lindholme | 344 | 332 | 336 |
Littlehey | 222 | 184 | 134 |
Liverpool | 384 | 430 | 412 |
Long Lartin | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Low Newton | 50 | 18 | 12 |
Lowdham Grange | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Maidstone | 64 | 64 | 52 |
Manchester | 354 | 326 | 284 |
Moorland | 434 | 388 | 258 |
New Hall | 61 | 45 | 32 |
North Sea Camp | 259 | 252 | 164 |
Northumberland | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Norwich | 308 | 275 | 250 |
Nottingham | 420 | 428 | 402 |
Oakwood | 962 | 862 | 810 |
Onley | 154 | 162 | 154 |
Parc | 800 | 706 | 736 |
Pentonville | 814 | 634 | 668 |
Peterborough | 358 | 362 | 398 |
Peterborough Female | 116 | 100 | 74 |
Portland | 146 | 142 | 128 |
Prescoed | 78 | 78 | 36 |
Preston | 517 | 535 | 441 |
Ranby | 396 | 336 | 322 |
Risley | 216 | 198 | 178 |
Rochester | 322 | 274 | 218 |
Rye Hill | 172 | 160 | 158 |
Send | 14 | 0 | 0 |
Springhill | 164 | 160 | 126 |
Stafford | 584 | 562 | 508 |
Standford Hill | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Stocken | 238 | 242 | 240 |
Stoke Heath | 322 | 318 | 302 |
Styal | 234 | 235 | 235 |
Sudbury | 372 | 298 | 232 |
Swaleside | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Swansea | 343 | 303 | 254 |
Swinfen Hall | 98 | 96 | 62 |
Thameside | 798 | 710 | 680 |
The Mount | 224 | 218 | 220 |
The Verne | 28 | 27 | 21 |
Thorn Cross | 84 | 58 | 36 |
Usk | 239 | 219 | 207 |
Wakefield | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wandsworth | 1,176 | 1,146 | 1,120 |
Warren Hill | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wayland | 344 | 304 | 286 |
Wealstun | 50 | 0 | 0 |
Werrington | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wetherby | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Whatton | 190 | 136 | 112 |
Whitemoor | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Winchester | 236 | 222 | 238 |
Woodhill | 80 | 54 | 24 |
Wormwood Scrubs | 601 | 558 | 601 |
Wymott | 132 | 68 | 16 |
Total | 32,271 | 30,017 | 28,181 |
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the recommendations of the Joint Committee on the Draft Domestic Abuse Bill in its First Report of Session 2017–19, whether he plans to undertake a review on how to address domestic abuse in relationships between under-16 year olds.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
We will publish our response to the remaining Joint Committee recommendations on the Draft Domestic Abuse Bill, including on whether to undertake a review on how to address domestic abuse in relationships between under-16 year olds, when the Bill is re-introduced. As the Leader of the House of Commons has indicated, we expect this to be ahead of the Easter recess.
Domestic abuse has a devastating impact on children and young people. Growing up in a household of fear and intimidation can impact their health, wellbeing and development, with lasting effects into adulthood. That is why the government has provided £8m over the last two years for services designed to support children affected by domestic abuse, be it perpetrated by parents/guardians or children they’re in a relationship with.
We are fully committed to enacting the landmark Domestic Abuse Bill to transform the response to domestic abuse. A key aim of the Bill is to raise awareness of the impact that domestic abuse can have on children and to ensure they are considered victims in their own right.