Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Hammond and Dominic Raab

Tuesday 22nd March 2022 Commons Chamber

[Dominic Raab]

I recognise the issue that the hon. Gentleman wants to deal with but we are not going to rake over the old coals of that debate.

[Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon) (Con)]

My right hon. Friend the Minister recently met me and my constituent Donna Mooney to discuss imprisonment for public protection sentences. Will he update the House on the progress of his thoughts on the matter and whether he plans to bring forward any plans for reform?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Hammond and Dominic Raab

Tuesday 14th December 2021 Commons Chamber

[The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice (Dominic Raab)]

This Government are tackling the drivers of reoffending to keep our communities safer. That includes the investment of £70 million this year to keep prison leavers off the streets and £80 million for substance misuse treatment services.

[Stephen Hammond]

I thank the Lord Chancellor for that answer. Will he confirm that some of that £70 million will go to schemes that rehabilitate, offering long-term opportunities in both employment and housing, because that is a successful way to keep reoffending rates down?

[Dominic Raab]

We are investing £183 million in the expansion of electronic monitoring, which includes £90 million to fund and promote innovation, including in respect of drugs and tags. We are also working carefully on prisoner passports, which are all about resettlement, to make sure that we reduce prisoner and offender homelessness, and there is a big push to encourage them to work with local businesses to get them into work.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Hammond and Dominic Raab

Tuesday 17th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon) (Con)]

T7. I thank my right hon. Friend and his Department for their very quick help with my constituent on Saturday, over an issue in the Philippines. My constituent, Mr Clark, is due to go on holiday on Thursday and wants to follow the Government’s advice on non-essential travel and not to go. Unless the Government detail which destinations are covered by non-essential travel, there will be real ramifications, particularly on insurance. When are the Government going to clarify that?

[Dominic Raab]

I thank my hon. Friend, who will have to wait only a short while to get an answer to that very question.

Covid-19

Debate between Stephen Hammond and Dominic Raab

Tuesday 17th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[Dominic Raab]

Of course, we have foreign nationals here who are in very similar positions to the ones that UK nationals themselves are in around the world. We will of course look at those cases as sympathetically and constructively as possible. We know what it is like, from all the cases that we have coming through to the FCO and through to our consular services. I have already raised this issue with the Home Office and the Home Secretary, but we will reaffirm it based on what the hon. Gentleman said today.

[Stephen Hammond (Wimbledon) (Con)]

The Foreign Secretary spoke earlier about hundreds of thousands of UK nationals abroad, many of whom are travelling home, which might be taking longer than they expected. Can the Foreign Office be clear about any reciprocal medical arrangements in place in those areas? Many of those cases are UK citizens living in EU states, with which we were formerly partnered. Given that this morning the Chief Medical Officer said that this situation might last for 18 months, will the Foreign Secretary ask former EU partners to consider an elongation of our current reciprocal arrangements?

[Dominic Raab]

I thank my hon. Friend for the dual way in which he asked an excellent question, and also managed subtly to leverage in the whole question of Brexit phase 2 negotiations. He will know that reciprocal arrangements are in place until the end of the transition period, and any continuation beyond that is for the negotiators to consider. We will always ensure that we provide as much support as possible for UK nationals on the continent, as well as for EU nationals here.