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  • Baroness Stern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Stern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Stern on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken in response to the report of HM Inspectorate of Prisons on HMP Nottingham in respect of its conclusion that during the working day about half of the prisoners held there were locked in their cells with nothing to do.

    Lord Faulks

    The National Offender Management Service has taken immediate action to improve the situation. An experienced temporary Governor was urgently appointed to bring stability and to implement rapid improvements. Subsequently, a new permanent Governor was appointed on 1 February 2015. A review of the staffing levels needed to complete the improvement work required has led to additional staff resources being deployed to the prison. There have been fewer incidents of serious assaults on prisoners and staff, concerted indiscipline and incidents at height since the inspection and there has been a marked improvement in the overall operational stability of the establishment. As with all inspection reports, NOMS will now produce an action plan in response to the recommendations.

    Improvements in staffing levels have allowed an increase in the amount of time that prisoners can participate in recreational activities, such as using the gymnasium. It has also enabled prisoners to undertake more educational workshops to enhance employability skills. .

    Since the Inspection, HMP Nottingham’s Violence Reduction (VR) Policy has been rewritten and implemented and, in line with the national NOMS VR Policy, requires staff to challenge all forms of violence and apply appropriate sanctions. Additional resources have been allocated to monitoring and managing violence reduction and safer custody. Use of the Independent Adjudicator and/or referral to the Police for consideration of prosecution for violent incidents has increased dramatically. HMP Nottingham continues to challenge all forms of violence and actively promotes a zero tolerance to it. The prison is forging stronger links with the local Police and Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that, where appropriate, prisoners involved in violence are prosecuted.

    The operational capacity of HMP Nottingham was reduced, at the time of the inspection, from 1100 to 1060. There are now regular bedding and clothing checks. This helps to recover items that have been stockpiled by prisoners, to ensure fair allocation of clean clothing and bedding. Additional clothes and bedding have also been issued.

  • Baroness Stern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Stern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Stern on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken in response to the report of HM Inspectorate of Prisons on HMP Nottingham in respect of its conclusion that levels of violence, including assaults on prisoners and staff, were very high.

    Lord Faulks

    The National Offender Management Service has taken immediate action to improve the situation. An experienced temporary Governor was urgently appointed to bring stability and to implement rapid improvements. Subsequently, a new permanent Governor was appointed on 1 February 2015. A review of the staffing levels needed to complete the improvement work required has led to additional staff resources being deployed to the prison. There have been fewer incidents of serious assaults on prisoners and staff, concerted indiscipline and incidents at height since the inspection and there has been a marked improvement in the overall operational stability of the establishment. As with all inspection reports, NOMS will now produce an action plan in response to the recommendations.

    Improvements in staffing levels have allowed an increase in the amount of time that prisoners can participate in recreational activities, such as using the gymnasium. It has also enabled prisoners to undertake more educational workshops to enhance employability skills. .

    Since the Inspection, HMP Nottingham’s Violence Reduction (VR) Policy has been rewritten and implemented and, in line with the national NOMS VR Policy, requires staff to challenge all forms of violence and apply appropriate sanctions. Additional resources have been allocated to monitoring and managing violence reduction and safer custody. Use of the Independent Adjudicator and/or referral to the Police for consideration of prosecution for violent incidents has increased dramatically. HMP Nottingham continues to challenge all forms of violence and actively promotes a zero tolerance to it. The prison is forging stronger links with the local Police and Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that, where appropriate, prisoners involved in violence are prosecuted.

    The operational capacity of HMP Nottingham was reduced, at the time of the inspection, from 1100 to 1060. There are now regular bedding and clothing checks. This helps to recover items that have been stockpiled by prisoners, to ensure fair allocation of clean clothing and bedding. Additional clothes and bedding have also been issued.

  • Baroness Stern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Baroness Stern – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Stern on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken in response to the report of HM Inspectorate of Prisons on HMP Nottingham in respect of its conclusion that cells were routinely overcrowded and prisoners had inadequate access to clean bedding and clean clothes.

    Lord Faulks

    The National Offender Management Service has taken immediate action to improve the situation. An experienced temporary Governor was urgently appointed to bring stability and to implement rapid improvements. Subsequently, a new permanent Governor was appointed on 1 February 2015. A review of the staffing levels needed to complete the improvement work required has led to additional staff resources being deployed to the prison. There have been fewer incidents of serious assaults on prisoners and staff, concerted indiscipline and incidents at height since the inspection and there has been a marked improvement in the overall operational stability of the establishment. As with all inspection reports, NOMS will now produce an action plan in response to the recommendations.

    Improvements in staffing levels have allowed an increase in the amount of time that prisoners can participate in recreational activities, such as using the gymnasium. It has also enabled prisoners to undertake more educational workshops to enhance employability skills. .

    Since the Inspection, HMP Nottingham’s Violence Reduction (VR) Policy has been rewritten and implemented and, in line with the national NOMS VR Policy, requires staff to challenge all forms of violence and apply appropriate sanctions. Additional resources have been allocated to monitoring and managing violence reduction and safer custody. Use of the Independent Adjudicator and/or referral to the Police for consideration of prosecution for violent incidents has increased dramatically. HMP Nottingham continues to challenge all forms of violence and actively promotes a zero tolerance to it. The prison is forging stronger links with the local Police and Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that, where appropriate, prisoners involved in violence are prosecuted.

    The operational capacity of HMP Nottingham was reduced, at the time of the inspection, from 1100 to 1060. There are now regular bedding and clothing checks. This helps to recover items that have been stockpiled by prisoners, to ensure fair allocation of clean clothing and bedding. Additional clothes and bedding have also been issued.

  • Lord Browne of Belmont – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Browne of Belmont – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the vote in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 3 February on the National Crime Agency, when they expect that Agency to be fully operational in Northern Ireland.

    Lord Bates

    The National Crime Agency (NCA) operates UK-wide, including in Northern Ireland, and provides support to its partner agencies there in relation to customs and immigration matters whilst continuing to exchange information with the PSNI. The NCA has, to date, been unable fully to target serious and organised crime groups in Northern Ireland involved in activities which require policing powers to tackle them.

    The draft Crime and Courts Act 2013 (National Crime Agency and Proceeds of Crime) (Northern Ireland) Order 2015, was laid before Parliament on 29 January 2015. It makes provision for the NCA to operate in Northern Ireland with full powers including the ability to recover criminal assets in relation to offences that are devolved, together with the ability to request the recovery of assets overseas in civil recovery cases.

    This will make Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK a safer place and means the most serious criminals can be pursued wherever they are. The Order details commencement of the provisions, some of which will come into force the day after it is made, including the extension to Northern Ireland of all of the relevant civil recovery provisions relating to freezing and recovery orders. The related civil recovery investigation powers will require further secondary legislation relating to a Code of Practice.

    A number of provisions that relate to the NCA’s operational use of constable powers and covert techniques, which will be subject to a Memorandum of Understanding, will come into force at the end of two months beginning with the day on which the Order is made. The Order may not be made until it has been approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

  • Lord Browne of Belmont – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Browne of Belmont – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have been apprehended when illegally entering the United Kingdom in Northern Ireland at the border with the Republic of Ireland in each of the last three years.

    Lord Bates

    I refer the noble Lord to the answer of 26th January 2015, to Question 221443 given by my hon. Friend the Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire.

  • Lord Browne of Belmont – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    Lord Browne of Belmont – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the HM Treasury

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the ease of opening bank accounts for small businesses.

    Lord Deighton

    The Government has not made a formal assessment of the ease of opening bank accounts for small businesses. However, more information than ever is available for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

    The British Bankers’ Association has a ‘Business Account Finder’ that provides information on a range of financial services available to businesses, including current accounts. This presents a list of the most competitive current accounts available with separate sections for sole traders, limited companies, charities and other types of business.

    In addition, the Business Banking Insight survey (BBI) provides detailed information on what UK SMEs think about every aspect of their bank and includes a ranking of banks against key indicators. It is a powerful tool for SMEs, helping them understand their options, making decisions about who to bank with and planning how they will grow.

  • Lord Browne of Belmont – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Lord Browne of Belmont – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have taken any steps to reduce the time taken to process applications for student loans.

    Baroness Neville-Rolfe

    The Student Loans Company is currently undergoing a business-wide Transformation programme intended to make it a digital centre of excellence, in line with the Government Digital Strategy. This includes an overhaul of its online assessment and application portals, in order to make them more efficient, customer-focussed and digital in design. All of these changes will enable significant improvements in the processing time of student loan applications. Recent improvements, for example, have increased immediate income-verification rates for sponsors from 75% last year to 81% in 2014-15.

    Moreover, the Government plans to modify the Student Support Regulations to allow the use of electronic signatures for student loan applications. This means that students will no longer need to print, sign and return the completed loan contract by post, or wait for confirmation of its receipt. In the future, many applicants will be able to complete the entire application process and have an approved loan in a single sitting.

  • Lord Browne of Belmont – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Browne of Belmont – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Browne of Belmont on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual cost to the public purse of maintaining disused court buildings; and how many disused court buildings are currently lying empty because they have not been sold.

    Lord Faulks

    The Court Estate Reform Programme (CERP) was introduced in 2010 to improve efficiency through the closure of poor quality and underused court buildings. The total cumulative gross benefits expected from CERP is an estimated £152m over the SR10 period. At the end of June 2014, approximately £140m had been realised through resource savings of approximately £98m and gross capital proceeds of £42m.

    There are 32 closed courts currently not in use. Of these, 27 were closed between May 2010 and March 2013 as part of CERP and business as usual closures. The full year cost of maintaining these courts in 2013/14 was £942,162. A further five courts were closed since then. The cost of maintaining these courts since their closure to date has been £122,444. All closed courts are being prepared for or undergoing sale processes.

    The cost of maintaining courts following closure includes costs on rent and rates, maintenance, labour costs on facilities management, fuel and utilities and other property costs. One court, Stourbridge County Court, was closed but is being used for administrative purposes.

    The Department is committed to disposing of surplus property assets expeditiously and reducing holding costs. The sale of former courts is dependent on a number of factors e.g. market, potential future use, location and the fact that some are occupied in part by the police and local authorities which also make disposal difficult. We have improved efficiency through the closure of poor quality and underused court buildings.

  • Lord Rooker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Rooker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many civil servants working in the diet and nutrition fields were transferred from the Food Standards Agency to the Department of Health following the machinery of government changes in July 2010; and how many remain working in the same fields at present.

    Earl Howe

    53 civil servants working in the diet and nutrition fields were transferred from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to the Department in 2010. Of these, seven currently work on diet and nutrition in the Department. There was a second machinery of Government change in April 2013, at which time 23 of those who transferred to the Department from the FSA then transferred to Public Health England.

  • Lord Rooker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Lord Rooker – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Rooker on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the diet and nutrition budget in the Department of Health in June 2010; how much that sum increased by incorporating budgets transferred from the Food Standards Agency to the Department of Health following the machinery of government changes in July 2010; and what is the current level.

    Earl Howe

    The Department’s programme budget for diet and nutrition in 2010-11 was £700,000 and the Food Standards Agency budget that transferred to the Department following the machinery of Government changes in 2010 was £10.126 million. The 2014-15 programme budget for diet and nutrition is £70,000 in the Department and £4.8 million in Public Health England. These budgets do not include staffing costs.