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  • Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Douglas Carswell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to his Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether his Office is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.

    Mr David Cameron

    At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s view is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

    The civil service is working full-time to support the Government’s position. A document setting out the principal alternatives to our membership of the EU will be published shortly.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Northern Ireland Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in her Department.

    Mrs Theresa Villiers

    My Department directly employs one Band F cleaner whose rate of pay is between £15,440-£16,000 per year. We also have a contract with Serco to provide cleaners at an hourly rate of £7.65. These cleaners all work in our Belfast office.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department has paid to staff in overtime in each of the last 24 months.

    Mike Penning

    The Department publishes overtime payment data on a monthly basis and the report can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/workforce-management-information-moj

    “

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many civil law suits have been brought against his Department based either wholly or partially on grounds provided by the Human Rights Act 1998; how many such suits were settled out of court before a court judgment was delivered; and how much such settlements have cost the public purse since 2010.

    Dominic Raab

    It is not possible to provide the information requested. Litigants in civil cases can rely on arguments based wholly or partly on the Human Rights Act 1998. In some cases, the Act is relied on in addition to other claims. When the Human Rights Act came into force, no specific arrangements were put in place by the then government to record cases in the way requested. As a result, there are not currently data published which distinguish between cases where the Human Rights Act was or was not invoked.

  • Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken to reduce overcrowding on the prison estate in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

    Andrew Selous

    As the Secretary of State has said, the prison estate is overcrowded and out of date. That’s why we have announced that we will close down aging and ineffective prisons, replacing them with new facilities fit for the modern world.

    We are investing £1.3 billion to reform and modernise the prison estate to make it more efficient, safer and focused on supporting prisoner rehabilitation. In our new prisons we will design out those features that facilitate bullying, drug-taking and violence.

    We are also constructing a modern 2,106 place prison, HMP Berwyn, in North Wales, that will be opened in 2017 and are building two new house-blocks at existing prison sites Stocken and Rye Hill.

    We remain committed to ensuring that there are enough places for offenders sentenced to custody by the courts and making sure that these places are safe, decent and secure.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to respond to the findings of Amnesty International UK’s Annual Report, published on 24 February 2016.

    Dominic Raab

    I have no plans to do so. It is irresponsible for any campaign group to criticise our proposals before they’ve seen them. Amnesty have already been told our plans involve the UK remaining in the European Convention.

  • Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jonathan Ashworth – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jonathan Ashworth on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much his Department spent from the public purse on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months.

    Mr Shailesh Vara

    The cost of Employment Tribunals can be found within the HMCTS annual accounts published at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/433948/hmcts-annual-report-accounts-2014-15.pdf.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the rate of pay is for cleaners in his Department.

    Mike Penning

    Cleaning services within the Ministry of Justice are typically undertaken by outsourced providers. Cleaners working within Ministry of Justice sites are therefore employed directly by these outsourced providers or their subcontractors and/or agencies.

    Rates of pay for cleaners are determined by their respective employers and not held by the Ministry of Justice. All employers are obligated to pay at least the National Minimum Wage and the new National Living Wage from April 2016.

  • Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Jo Stevens – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what discussions he has had with (a) NOMS and (b) the Prison Officers Association on evidence submitted to the Prison Service Pay Review Body on rates of pay for prison officers.

    Andrew Selous

    Each year the Prison Service Pay Review Body (PSPRB) considers evidence from both NOMS and remit group trade unions (PCS, the POA and the PGA), then makes pay recommendations which are independent of all parties as well as wider Government. I have met with NOMS officials and POA officials separately and together on a number of occasions.

  • Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    Christopher Chope – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Justice

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Christopher Chope on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 February 2016 to Question 27179, whether the requirement in the Lisbon Treaty that the EU shall accede to the European Convention on Human Rights is legally enforceable.

    Dominic Raab

    The Prime Minister told the house on 3 February that the Governments position is that the EU should not join the European Convention on Human Rights. We are committed in our manifesto to change Britain’s relationship with respect to the European Court of Human Rights through our own British Bill of Rights. We shall be coming up with proposals for that shortly.