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  • Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Greaves – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice they have given to police forces on the action to be taken in relation to information on persons who have ordered or received copies of Charlie Hebdo from their newsagents or in other ways, and whether such information should be collected; and which police forces have collected any such information.

    Lord Bates

    In line with their operational independence, this is an issue on which appropriate action is taken by the police as required.

    The police Security Review Committee process considers terrorist threats to all communities across the UK, and considers the appropriate policing response, including any protective security requirements, advice and guidance, to respond to any emerging threats.

    I understand that the police assessed the risks arising from the sale of the magazine Charlie Hedbo in the UK after events in Paris, and provided appropriate advice to wholesalers, distributors, and retailers of the magazine. There was no centrally co-ordinated request to collect information on individuals who ordered or received copies.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to overhaul child abuse investigations.

    Lord Bates

    The Government is clear that if anyone has been a victim of child sexual abuse, or knows of someone who has been a victim, then they should report it to the police so that it can be thoroughly investigated. The day to day investigation of child sexual abuse is an operational matter for the relevant Chief Officer.

    In July last year, the Home Secretary established an Independent Panel Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. This Inquiry will consider whether, and the extent to which, public bodies and other non-state institutions have taken seriously their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse. The Inquiry will have statutory powers under the Inquiries Act 2005, to enable it to compel witnesses to give evidence. This is of huge national significance and is a once in a generation opportunity to get to the truth.

    At a national level, Operation Hydrant is the national policing response which oversees and coordinates all child abuse investigations concerning persons of public prominence or those offences which took place historically in institutional settings. It is overseen by the National Policing Lead for Child Protection and Abuse Investigations. More generally, Operation Hydrant is responsible for the production of best practice for Senior Investigating Officers (SIOs) investigating relevant allegations.

    To support forces in conducting operations into child sexual abuse, the College of Policing has published Authorised Professional Practice (APP) on managing complex child abuse investigations.

    Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary is currently conducting a rolling programme of unannounced child protection inspections. Reports on Norfolk, South Yorkshire, West Midlands, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire have been published so far. This inspection programme, once completed, will give a national picture, and focus on the role of police in child protection and specifically how effectively forces safeguard young people.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve child safety, in the light of the levels of sexual coercion reported by teenage girls in England compared to other European countries.

    Lord Nash

    The findings on the levels of sexual coercion reported by teenage girls in England published by the University of Central Lancashire are part of a collaborative research project involving five European countries – Norway, Italy, Bulgaria, Cyprus and England. Protection from abuse is a fundamental right for all children and the Government continues to work to improve child safety.

    Our recent key actions include:

    • Commissioning the PSHE Association to produce guidance for teachers on teaching about consent, which will be published shortly. The statutory sex and relationships education (SRE) guidance also makes clear that young people should be taught about how the law applies to sexual relationships and be taught positive values and a moral framework to guide their decisions, judgements and behaviour.

    • Revising statutory safeguarding guidance, Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2013 and Keeping Children Safe in Education (April 2014), to provide clear frameworks for professionals and for schools to take action to protect children from abuse. These updated versions will be published shortly.

    • To help children stay safe online, we have also put online safety on the curriculum, published advice for parents on keeping young people safe from cyberbullying, and announced £500,000 extra funding in December 2014 to the UK Safer Internet Centre to provide guidance and training for schools. The Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Command of the National Crime Agency has developed a specific educational resource to tackle ‘sexting’, which is designed for use by teachers.

    • We are committed to improving the child protection system and are working with local leaders and professionals on a radical programme of reform, including improving social worker training and children’s services. The overall aim of this work is to bring about long-term change to help vulnerable children.

  • Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    Lord Taylor of Warwick – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to enhance the quality of careers guidance available in schools in England.

    Lord Nash

    It is essential that all young people leave school prepared for life in modern Britain. This includes finding new ways to broaden young peoples’ exposure to the world of work and ensuring they have key skills like character and grit. A new, independent careers and enterprise company, announced by my Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State, on 10 December 2014, will support schools by increasing the level of employer input into careers guidance, inspiration and enterprise. This is a vital part of our plans to strengthen links between schools and the world of work to ensure young people get the support they need. The company will have the specific remit of spreading existing good practice to every part of England. The company will receive start-up funding drawn from the £20 million for careers announced in the autumn statement.

    The new company is a key part of a wider package of measures to improve careers guidance in schools. We have revised our statutory guidance to clarify our expectations of schools in relation to their duty to secure independent careers guidance, and will review it again in time for the next academic year. We have established a clear accountability system. Ofsted is giving a higher priority to careers guidance in school inspections and we publish destination measures which help schools and colleges to be held to account locally and inform choices by parents and students. We have also enhanced the role of the National Careers Service to help bring schools and employers closer together.

  • Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Lord Hylton – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the ability of Operation Triton to save the lives of those at risk in the Mediterranean; and what proposals they will make to assist Spain, Italy and Greece in dealing with the flow of migrants and refugees.

    Lord Bates

    The EU’s external border agency, Frontex, has stated that since the launch of Operation Triton in November 2014 they helped to save 6,000 migrants on their way to Italy. The UK has responded positively to requests from Frontex to deploy two debriefers and a nationality expert to support Operation Triton, with further support committed for 2015. We have made clear that we are willing to consider any further requests from Frontex for UK support.

    The recent deaths are a tragic reminder of the great risks to migrants attempting to reach Europe by crossing the Mediterranean in unseaworthy and ill-equipped vessels. During Italy’s Mare Nostrum operation in 2014 many thousands of migrants were intercepted and brought to Italy, but over 3,000 died at sea.

    While EU Ministers have previously agreed that the principal responsibility for migrants and refugees rests with the Member State whose territory they arrive in, the Government continues to provide concrete support to those Member States under particular pressure both through the EU agencies and directly.

    We are also investing in joint EU efforts to mitigate pressures on these Member States through work in key countries of origin and transit, including efforts to tackle the root causes of these dangerous journeys and the organised criminal gangs behind them, and to increase support for protection for refugees in North and East Africa and in the Middle East.

    In particular we are we are playing a leading role in the new ‘Khartoum Process’ launched at a Ministerial Conference in Rome on 28 November, aimed at combating people smuggling and human trafficking in the Horn of Africa. We are also supporting the EU’s Middle East Regional Development and Protection Programme, which is seeking sustainable regional solutions for those fleeing the Syrian crisis, as well as providing over £700 Million in UK humanitarian aid.

  • Baroness Wheatcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Baroness Wheatcroft – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the annual cost to the National Health Service of the customer satisfaction surveys conducted by text message; and to what use the results of such surveys are put.

    Earl Howe

    A range of surveys are conducted to understand the views and experience of those using NHS services. The National Health Survey patient experience survey programme uses a postal methodology and does not currently involve text messaging.

    The NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) is not a traditional customer satisfaction survey, but provides continuous opportunities for near real-time feedback from patients about their experience of care and treatment. Healthcare providers can provide a feedback collection method that suits them. Most use low-cost paper feedback forms and collection boxes but some use text messaging. NHS England does not gather information on the cost of this.

    FFT provides a rich source of patient views that has proved valuable in making improvements to local services.

  • Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    Lord Foulkes of Cumnock – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Cabinet Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Foulkes of Cumnock on 2015-02-12.

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what due diligence is carried out and by whom before ministerial appointments are made.

    Baroness Stowell of Beeston

    As was the case under previous administrations, ministerial appointments are a matter for the Prime Minister, in line with the Ministerial Code.

    For those individuals upon whom the Prime Minister wishes to confer a life peerage, the independent House of Lords Appointments Commission vets nominations. For those individuals upon whom the Prime Minister wishes to confer a peerage in order that they might sit in the House of Lords to take up a ministerial role, the Commission consults the main regulatory authorities, including HMRC, before giving advice.

  • Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements are in place to ensure and to monitor the timely production of court reports.

    Lord Faulks

    The Performance Framework for the National Probation Service (NPS) includes a target for timely delivery of court reports. Data relating to this measure is collected from operational case management systems. This data is validated and used by NPS Performance and Quality Managers to monitor and enhance performance against the target.

  • Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what budgets have been set for professional development for (1) qualified, and (2) trainee, probation officers.

    Lord Faulks

    Under the Government’s Transforming Rehabilitation reforms, probation staff are now employed either by the National Probation Service (NPS) or one of the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs).

    Probation Officers in the NPS are supported by the National Offender Management Service’s Human Resources Learning & Development team, which delivers professional skills training for the NPS. Funding for this work is found from within the National Offender Management Service’s overall Human Resources budget.

    In addition, all NPS staff have free access to Civil Service Learning which includes a range of generic face to face and e-learning modules covering a wide range of subjects.

    The professional development of probation officers employed by the 21 CRCs is the responsibility of those companies.

    As regards trainee Probation Officers, their training and development is overseen by the National Offender Management Service, through the Probation Qualification Framework (PQF). Recruits undertake on-the-job training and study, leading to graduation in 15 months as qualified probation officers. The final budget for delivery of the PQF will depend on the total number of trainees recruited. Last autumn, we made over 270 training places available for new probation officers and a similar number in January this year. A further intake is planned for April. This represents the biggest investment in the professionalism of the probation workforce for some considerable time. The NPS will continue to use the PQF and the CRCs are also free to do so should they choose.

  • Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Lord Beecham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

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

    To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the current sickness rates for practitioners in the National Probation Service; and what were the rates for 2013 and 2014.

    Lord Faulks

    Information on sickness absence rates among National Probation Service (NPS) staff for the period 1 June – 30 September 2014 was published on 17 November in a Management Information Release. The annualised rate of absence for this period in the NPS was 10.6 working days lost per staff year. Information for the whole of 2014-15 will be published in the Management Information Addendum to the National Offender Management Service Annual Report 2014-15.

    Information on sickness absence rates in the former Probation Trusts is published annually in the Management Information Addendum to the National Offender Management Service Annual Report. The sickness absence rate for Probation Trusts for April 2013 to March 2014, published on 30 July 2014 was 9.8 working days lost per person.

    The NPS statistics are not directly comparable to the annual Probation Trust data, as they relate to different timescales.

    We take the health and wellbeing of probation staff extremely seriously and have worked closely with the NPS to support staff. We recognise this has been a challenging time for them and they can be extremely proud of how they have maintained standards throughout the transition period.