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  • Iain Wright – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Iain Wright – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain Wright on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 22 November 2012, Official Report, columns 566-7W, on police: Cleveland, what estimate she has made of the number of police officers allocated to Hartlepool constituency for frontline duties in each year since the basic command unit was abolished; and if she will make a statement.

    Mike Penning

    As set out in the previous answer mentioned by the Hon Gentleman, the Home Office no longer collects police workforce information at the requested level. The deployment of available resources is a matter for chief officers locally, working with their Police and Crime Commissioner.

    At the overall police force area level, according to the definitions set out by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, Cleveland Police plan to have 1271 police officers working in frontline roles by March 2015. This represents 91 per cent of the total police officer workforce.

    Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary has made clear there is no simple link between officer numbers and crime levels. This is supported by the reduction in crime of more than one fifth under this Government, according to the independent Crime Survey for England and Wales.

  • Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Mary Creagh – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mary Creagh on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2015 to Question 222395, what proportion of UK Official Development Assistance was allocated to fragile and conflict-affected states in (a) 2013-14, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2011-12.

    Justine Greening

    The most recent available figures for UK official development assistance (ODA) show the following proportions were spent in fragile and conflict-affected states (FCAS):

    Year

    % UK ODA Spent in FCAS (Bilateral and multilateral)

    2010

    39%

    2011

    44%

    2012

    42%

    2013

    43%

    ODA spend is calculated on a calendar-year basis; provisional figures for 2014 UK ODA spend will be published in the spring.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of prisoners were released without accommodation from each private prison in England and Wales in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available.

    Andrew Selous

    We are fully committed to the rehabilitation of offenders so as to turn their lives around and reduce the risk of their re-offending in future. Dealing with their accommodation needs on release from prison is an integral part of that.

    The table below shows the number and percentage of offenders by recorded type of accommodation on discharge from contracted-out prisons 2013-14.

    Contracted Prisons: Accommodation on Release

    Settled Accommodation on Release

    % Settled Accommodation on Release

    Not in Settled Accommodation on Release

    % Not in settled Accommodation on release

    Total Offender Releases

    2011/12

    13,775

    90.5%

    1,445

    9.5%

    15,220

    2012/13

    14,297

    84.9%

    2,537

    15.1%

    16,834

    2012/13 excluding HMP Thameside

    13,892

    90.2%

    1,506

    9.8%

    15,398

    2013/14

    16,076

    91.6%

    1,472

    8.4%

    17,548

    Notes

    Settled accommodation covers the following categories: permanent housing, supported housing, approved premises, other hostels and BASS accommodation.

    Not in settled accommodation means: transient/short term accommodation, No Fixed Address, or No Information.

    Figures for 2012/13 are shown both including and excluding HMP Thameside, whose low outcomes in their first year of operation impacted on the overall outcomes.

    The figures show that less than 5% of prisoners were recorded as being of no fixed abode upon release from contracted-out prisons in 2013-14.

    The figures in the above table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

    It should also be noted that recorded accommodation type is based on prisoner self-reporting. We are aware of the inherent limitations in relying on self-reporting and are developing alternative measures aimed at ensuring that prisons and Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) managing low and medium risk offenders fulfil their respective roles in preparing prisoners for release and helping them to find suitable accommodation.

    Under the Government’s Transforming Rehabilitation reforms, all prisoners will benefit from a universal resettlement service and genuine continuity of provision ‘Through the Gate’ from custody to the community. We have established a network of Resettlement Prisons to facilitate the smooth transition from custody to community to enable the new CRCs to work with those prisoners returning to their local area.

  • Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Kate Green – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kate Green on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many punishments of removal from wing were given to prisoners in each private prison in England and Wales in each year since 2010.

    Andrew Selous

    A total of 17 prisoners were removed from the wing or living unit as a punishment, following a guilty finding under the internal disciplinary system, in private prisons from 2010 to 2013. Figures for 2014 are not yet available.

    If a punishment of removal from the wing or living unit is given, the prisoner or young offender (including people under 18) will be relocated to other accommodation within the establishment, but otherwise continues to participate, as far as possible, in normal regime activities, in association with other prisoners or young offenders.

    The breakdown for each prison in each year is:

    2010

    HMP Parc – 2

    HMP Peterborough – 1

    2011

    HMP Doncaster – 7

    HMP Parc – 2

    HMP Peterborough – 1

    2012

    HMP Dovegate – 2

    HMP Thameside – 1

    2013

    HMP Thameside – 1

  • Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress has been made in implementing each of the recommendations of the review into the needs of families bereaved by homicide, published by his Department in July 2011.

    Mike Penning

    In July 2011 we published the Review into the Needs of Families Bereaved by Homicide by Louise Casey (then Victims’ Commissioner). She made a wide range of recommendations. Since then we have worked closely with victims and victims’ organisations and the report’s findings have played a critical role in informing our approach to ensuring that families get the help they need.

    This includes plans to implement a victims law to put into statute the right of the victim to tell a court how a crime has affected them, providing families of homicide victims with a copy of the judge’s sentencing remarks following the trial, and funding a dedicated national Homicide Service with more than £2million a year to support those affected by homicide at home and abroad.

    Further information requested is in the table attached.

  • Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Dan Jarvis – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dan Jarvis on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the average number of days taken by coroners to release the body of a homicide victim back to the family for burial in each year since 2010.

    Simon Hughes

    Information on the average number of days taken by coroners to release the body of a homicide victim is not held centrally. This information could only be obtained by inspection of individual case files at each coroner’s office before collating the information, and this could only be done at disproportionate cost.

    In July 2013 we implemented reforms in the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 together with new coroner regulations and rules aimed at improving standards and achieving greater consistency in coroner services. Regulation 20 of the Coroners (Investigations) Regulations 2013 requires a coroner to release the body for burial or cremation as soon as is reasonably practicable. Where this cannot be done within 28 days, the coroner must notify the next of kin or personal representative of the reason for the delay.

    In February 2014 we also published the statutory “Guide to Coroner Services” which explains the standards of service that can be expected during a coroner’s investigation and what action can be taken if these are not met.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent progress he has made on proposals to privatise the criminal fine enforcement service.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    Final bids were submitted on 5 January 2015 and negotiations commenced on 26 January as planned. The full final business case is currently in the process of being updated with results from the negotiation meetings, which then needs to continue through the usual governance and approvals processes that need to occur before any contract award of this type. Further negotiations may be required over the coming weeks to further refine the proposals.

    The investment and technology an external provider can bring will enable the automation of many of the manual administrative processes and in turn decrease the cost of providing fine enforcement and increase the amount of fines that are paid. The innovation will free up staff time to enable them to be more pro-active in pursuing offenders to ensure they comply with their court order.

  • Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Paul Flynn – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Flynn on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Prime Minister, what due diligence he undertook on the background of Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint before his appointment as a Minister of State in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; and what communications he has had with Lord Green in respect of the accounts of British residents and nationals held by HSBC in Switzerland since 2005 since 7 February 2015.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West (Mrs Hodgson) on 11 February 2015, Official Report, columns 774-775.

  • Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    Lilian Greenwood – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Transport

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lilian Greenwood on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to announce the direct contract awards to (a) First Great Western and (b) East Midlands Trains.

    Claire Perry

    We are currently in negotiation with both operators, in line with the published Rail Franchising Schedule.

    It is anticipated that the Direct Award for the Great Western Franchise will be for three and a half years (September 2015 to March 2019), whilst that for the East Midlands Franchise will be for two years (October 2015 to October 2017).

    Announcements regarding the conclusion of these negotiations will be made in due course.

  • Dominic Raab – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Dominic Raab – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dominic Raab on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many new jobs have been created in (a) Elmbridge and (b) Esher and Walton constituency since May 2010; and what the effect of such job creation has been on the level of unemployment in each of those areas.

    Mr Rob Wilson

    The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.