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  • Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Emily Thornberry – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Emily Thornberry on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26719, what change programmes are underway which are expected to reduce the number of his Department’s civilian employees.

    Mark Lancaster

    The main change programmes which are in progress and expected to deliver significant civilian workforce reductions are Army re-basing, the US Visiting Forces restructuring, and transformation of Information Systems and Services.

    The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is also considering further programmes which are intended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of defence outputs and the support provided to the Armed Forces. These include plans to reduce the overall Defence Estate; provision of Defence Fire and Emergency services; transforming the provision of hard and soft facility management, arrangements for infrastructure policing, options for the delivery of the MOD Guard Service and for the provision of shared corporate services. Each of these further programmes may impact on civilian staff. As I stated in my previous answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 26719, the timing and reductions associated with individual programmes are still to be determined.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications to the Healthy New Towns programme were made from each local authority area.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department does not hold information on the applications to the Healthy New Towns programme.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many applications to the Healthy New Towns programme were made from each region.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department does not hold information on the applications to the Healthy New Towns programme.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department of Health

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will list the organisations that applied to the Healthy New Towns programme.

    Jane Ellison

    The Department does not hold information on the applications to the Healthy New Towns programme.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of the introduction of the National Probation Service on the supervision of offenders found guilty of domestic abuse.

    Andrew Selous

    The National Probation Service (NPS) is responsible for initial risk assessments in all cases, including domestic abuse. Following sentence, it allocates each case either to a Community Rehabilitation Company or to the NPS itself, depending upon the assessed level of risk. The NPS is responsible for the supervision of all offenders assessed as presenting a high risk of serious harm and those who are subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements (MAPPA). These will include higher-risk and MAPPA offenders convicted for offences of domestic abuse.

    The performance of the NPS is closely monitored through a set of performance measures. In addition, HM Inspectorate of Probation has carried out a series of inspections of the early implementation of the previous Government’s Transforming Rehabilitation reforms.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Community Rehabilitation Company and the National Probation Service work effectively together in dealing with domestic abuse offending.

    Andrew Selous

    The National Probation Service (NPS) Service Level Agreement and the contracts with the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) make clear the importance of effective co-operation between the NPS and CRCs: there are mandatory local and national processes and structures in place to manage cases and to arrange transfer from the CRC to the NPS where there is an escalation of risk.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Attorney General

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Attorney General, if he will take steps to ensure that at the point of sentencing all available information on previous offences committed by the person to be sentenced is made available to the court.

    Robert Buckland

    It is vital that all relevant available information on previous convictions and sentences (antecedents) is made available to the court that passes sentence. This allows the court to pass a sentence commensurate with the seriousness of the offence taking account the offender’s previous convictions. There are already procedures in place to ensure this

    The Crown Prosecution Service, or other prosecuting authority in the case, obtains relevant antecedents and previous convictions from the police so that it is available for service on the court, with further copies being served on the defence and Probation Services. It is the responsibility of the prosecution advocate to ensure that the information required is made available to the court at any sentencing hearing.

    The Criminal Practice Directions [2013] EWCA Crim 1631 prescribe minimum standards for the provision of antecedent information in the magistrates’ and Crown Court. There is an additional requirement in the Crown Court for brief details of convictions likely to be of interest to the court to be made available prior to sentence being imposed.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases of repeat domestic abuse were dealt with by courts in each of the last six years.

    Caroline Dinenage

    This information is not held centrally.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will ensure that relevant National Probation Service staff attend Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conferences.

    Andrew Selous

    The Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) chair or coordinator for each local authority area is responsible for scheduling meetings and notifying partners (including the National Probation Service (NPS)) of cases that are to be discussed. A representative of the NPS attends any meetings where offenders subject to NPS supervision are to be discussed.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to ensure that the minutes and details of any actions resulting from a Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference are shared with National Probation Service staff.

    Andrew Selous

    The Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) chair or coordinator for each local authority area is responsible for scheduling meetings and notifying partners (including the National Probation Service (NPS)) of cases that are to be discussed. A representative of the NPS attends any meetings where offenders subject to NPS supervision are to be discussed.