Tag: Baroness Howe of Idlicote

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2015-12-02.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how Ofcom is ensuring that persons under the age of 18 are protected from inappropriate content in television and radio services.

Baroness Shields

Section One of the Broadcasting Code serves to protect children from unsuitable content in television and radio services. The rules in this section include specific provisions, and cover areas such as drugs, smoking, violence and dangerous behaviour, offensive language, sexual material and nudity. The rules also specifically protect children before the watershed on television at 9pm and at times when they are particularly likely to be listening to radio services. Ofcom enforces these rules robustly, and can impose statutory sanctions on any broadcaster that breaches them.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2015-12-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of Barnardo’s recent report Locked Out: Children’s experiences of visiting a parent in prison, in particular claims that visits by children to fathers who are in prison are severely restricted.

Lord Faulks

The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.

All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2015-12-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations in Barnardo’s recent report Locked Out: Children’s experiences of visiting a parent in prison.

Lord Faulks

The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.

All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2015-12-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recommendation of Barnardo’s in the recent report Locked Out: Children’s experiences of visiting a parent in prison, that visits by children to fathers in prison should be removed from the incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme.

Lord Faulks

The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.

All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2015-12-16.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to improve the conditions for children visiting a parent in prison, in the light of Barnardo’s recent report Locked Out: Children’s experiences of visiting a parent in prison.

Lord Faulks

The Government agrees that strong family ties are an important part of helping prisoners turn away from crime, and the recommendations from the recent Barnardo’s report are currently being considered in the context of the wider prison reforms.

All convicted prisoners have a long-standing statutory entitlement to a minimum of two visits every 28 days. In addition, prisoners may also be rewarded with additional visits for good behaviour and for engaging with their rehabilitation.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2016-01-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 22 December 2015 (HL4639), what recent discussions they have had with the National Offender Management Service about bringing the guidance on Incentives and Earned Privileges schemes for men’s prisons in line with the guidance for women’s prisons set out in issue 297 of Prison Service Order 4800, which states that incentive schemes should never be linked to any access to family visits”.”

Lord Faulks

Men and women prisoners have the same entitlements to visits. Both are eligible to family days where relevant, in addition to the normal visits entitlement. Prisons should not treat men and women prisoners differently with respect to visits solely on the basis of their gender.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2016-01-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 22 December 2015 (HL4650), why children’s visits to their fathers in prison continue to be part of Incentives and Earned Privileges schemes when children’s visits to their mother in prison are excluded from such schemes under issue 297 of Prison Service Order 4800.

Lord Faulks

Men and women prisoners have the same entitlements to visits. Both are eligible to family days where relevant, in addition to the normal visits entitlement. Prisons should not treat men and women prisoners differently with respect to visits solely on the basis of their gender.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2016-01-26.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Faulks on 22 December 2015 (HL4641), what assessment they have made of the compatibility of restricting children’s visits to their fathers in prison through the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme with children’s rights under (1) Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and (2) Article 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Lord Faulks

Men and women prisoners have the same entitlements to visits. Both are eligible to family days where relevant, in addition to the normal visits entitlement. Prisons should not treat men and women prisoners differently with respect to visits solely on the basis of their gender.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times payment providers have (1) been asked to block payments to online gambling websites not licensed in the UK, and (2) blocked such payments, since the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 came into force.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

Since the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Act 2014 came into force there have been 11 occasions where the Gambling Commission has asked payment providers to prevent payments to online gambling website operators not licensed in the UK but believed to be transacting with consumers in Great Britain. On all 11 occasions the payment provider either terminated their relationship with the unlicensed operator or took steps to ensure that the unlicensed gambling website was no longer available to consumers in Great Britain.

In addition, the Gambling Commission are aware of additional instances where payment providers have, of their own initiative, terminated agreements with unlicensed gambling websites transacting with consumers in Great Britain. The Commission are unable to quantify these instances because payment providers are not obliged to report these cases unless the action is instigated by the Commission.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Baroness Howe of Idlicote on 2016-04-11.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the number of foreign online gambling websites not licensed in the UK that are being accessed from the UK.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe

The Gambling Commission monitors this through the complaints received from customers and licensed operators, and other sources of intelligence. It is not possible to state precisely how many individual unlicensed websites there are, however, where websites are identified that are offering facilities for gambling to customers in Britain without the appropriate licence the Commission will take action to ensure they cease these activities. Since November 2014 the Commission has written to approximately 60 foreign online gambling websites, to remind them of the legal position and require them to immediately cease their activities in Great Britain.