The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-02-23.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many Legionnaires’ disease incidents have been reported in each prison since May 2010.
Ben Gummer
Due to small numbers involved and risk of deductive disclosure, the number of cases of Legionella pneumonia in people in prisons in England cannot be provided.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-01.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is on the sale by G4S of its Secure Training Centre contracts.
Andrew Selous
The decision by G4S will not have any direct impact on the day to day running of Secure Training Centres. G4S have committed to ensuring there is a smooth transition to new providers. We will work with G4S and the Youth Justice Board to make sure that happens.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-04.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Prime Minister’s Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 23, on the European Council, when the reforms secured by the Prime Minister will become legally binding.
Mr David Lidington
The Decision of the Heads of State or Government, meeting within the European Council, concerning a new settlement for the United Kingdom within the European Union became legally binding from the point it was adopted by the Heads of State or Government on 19 February 2016. This Decision shall take effect on the same date at the Government of the United Kingdom informs the Secretary-General of the Council that the United Kingdom has decided to remain a member of the European Union.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-15.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the reported planned execution of Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher in that country.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We are very concerned about the cases of Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdallah al-Zaher. We have raised these cases with the Saudi Arabian authorities, most recently on 12 March, at a very senior level. Our expectation remains that they will not be executed.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-24.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2016 to Question 31078, on immigration officers, what policy, guidance or code of practice is provided to immigration officers carrying out equipment interference.
James Brokenshire
The Office of Surveillance Commissioners (OSC) provides independent oversight of the use of property interference powers by law enforcement, including immigration officers. The Police Act 1997 was amended in 2013 to enable immigration officers to carry out property interference. The OSC regularly inspects law enforcement use of the power and scrutinises all individual property interference authorisations. A statutory code of practice for covert surveillance and property interference which can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/384975/Covert_Surveillance_Property_Interrefernce_web__2_.pdf
applies to all agencies with property interference powers.
The Investigatory Powers Bill will provide enhanced safeguards for the use of equipment interference, including the requirement that equipment interference warrants are subject to the double-lock authorisation safeguard. The Bill will also create a new and more powerful Investigatory Powers Commissioner who will keep the use of this important power under close and regular review. A new Equipment Interference Code of Practice was published in draft alongside the Investigatory Powers Bill. This Code will provide further guidance on the use of equipment interference powers to all relevant agencies.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-04-12.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners serving sentences for (a) murder, (b) attempted murder, (c) rape and (d) attempted rape are currently unlawfully at large having escaped or absconded from prison.
Andrew Selous
The number of escapes and absconds are published annually, by financial year, in the Prison Digest:
Both escapes and absconds from prison have fallen to record lows since 2010. The specific information requested could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-05-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much funding has been received from the European Social Fund via the National Offender Management Service Co-Financing Organisation to help set up and finance The Employers’ Forum for Reducing Re-offending.
Andrew Selous
Money received from the European Social Fund (ESF) by the NOMS Co-financing Programme is published in the NOMS Annual Report and Accounts. No ESF funding has been used to finance employer roadshows at Sudbury, Drake Hall and Wayland prisons. Neither has any ESF money been awarded direct to HM Young Offender Institutions Werrington, Feltham or Cookham Wood.
It is a condition of any award of core ESF funding to the NOMS Co-financing programme that it has to be spent on front line services for offenders (excluding the administration budget. Because of this, a separate application was made under the Technical Assistance grant to fund, among other things, the setting up and running of the Employers’ Forum for Reducing Re-offending (EFRR). The aim of the Technical Assistance grant is to fund services that will support the objectives of the main programme – employability of offenders. The amount spent from the ESF Technical Assistance fund on the EFRR from 2010 to 2015 was £280,403.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-05-25.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps he has taken to reduce the number of people serving sentences of imprisonment for public protection after their prison tariff has expired.
Andrew Selous
IPP sentences were introduced in the Criminal Justice Act 2003 for offences committed after April 2005. They were abolished in 2012 by the Coalition Government. IPP prisoners will be released whe the Parole Board is satisfied that they can be safely managed in the community. It is a priority for us to help remaining IPP prisoners progress towards release, including by ensuring that their parole reviews take place on time, through greater efficiency in the parole process, and by giving them the opportunity to complete relevant interventions and work. In 2015 there were 512 IPP releases – the highest number of annual releases since the sentence became available.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-06-20.
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of his Department’s staff are seconded to work in other countries.
Mike Penning
There are no Ministry of Justice staff seconded to work in other countries.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-07-18.
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what bi-lateral discussions she has had with her counterparts in which EU member states on the long-term status of UK citizens in those member states.
Mr Robert Goodwill
The Government has repeatedly stated that there will be no immediate changes in the circumstances of UK nationals and their family members entering or currently residing in the European Union.
During the period of the negotiations, the UK remains a full member of the EU, entitled to all the benefits and obligations of membership. We have published guidance on gov.uk which makes this clear.
It is a Government priority to protect the legal rights of British nationals living in EU countries, as well as EU nationals in the UK, and we are confident that we will be able secure those things together during discussions with our EU partners.
As part of this process, the Secretary of State will continue to work closely with EU counterparts and with relevant stakeholders.