Tag: Jo Stevens

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2015-10-29.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much HM Revenue and Customs spent on (a) IT systems and (b) cyber-security in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13, (iv) 2013-14, (v) 2014-15 and (vi) 2015-16 to date.

Mr David Gauke

Reference to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) spending on IT systems can be found within its Annual Report and Accounts, under the Chief Digital and Information Officer Group. For the 2014/15 Annual Report and Accounts, this is on page 145.

HMRC’s spending on cyber security work is incorporated within the headline IT expenditure figure.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-01-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 22 June 2015 to Question HL324 from Baroness Masham of Ilton, when the additional four weeks of training for prison officers will be introduced; and whether training on suicide and self-injury prevention will be included in that training.

Andrew Selous

The new Prison Officer entry level training began on 25th January 2016. The training includes an additional 4 weeks of content relevant to the role. Reducing the risk of suicide and self-harm are included in the training.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department has taken as a result of the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons’ report on HM Prison Rochester, published in September 2015; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Selous

HM Inspectorate of Prisons’ (HMIP) report on HMP Rochester was published on 13 January this year.

Rochester prison faces a significant challenge from new psychoactive substances, which the Governor and his staff are determined to tackle. They have already put in place additional security measures, along with measures to increase awareness of substance misuse issues and extend support to overcome it. Progress has also been made since this inspection to improve safety and purposeful activity with more prisoners engaged in high quality work and training opportunities.

The Governor will use the recommendations in this report to drive further improvements over the coming months. An action plan responding to all the recommendations in the report will be published at the following link in due course: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmiprisons/inspections/

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, against the Boards of which community rehabilitation companies he has exercised his powers of written consent since 1 February 2015; and against what proposals such powers have been used.

Andrew Selous

Thanks to these reforms, offenders in prison for less than 12 months are now receiving support from the probation providers for the very first time.

Since new owners began running Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) on 1 February 2015, the Secretary of State has not exercised his powers of written consent against any Boards of any CRC. The Secretary of State has also not used section 27 of the Amended and Restated Services Agreement against any CRC.

We closely monitor and robustly manage providers to make sure they fulfil their contractual commitments to maintain service delivery, reduce reoffending, protect the public and provide value for money to the taxpayer.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his announcement of 13 August 2016 on guaranteeing EU funding beyond the date the UK leaves the EU, whether funding for the National Offender Management European Social Fund Co-financing Programme is guaranteed.

Damian Hinds

In his announcement on 13 August the Chancellor guaranteed that structural and investment funds projects, including ESF, signed before the Autumn Statement, would be fully funded. The agreement with the National Offender Management Service is covered by this guarantee. The Chancellor extended the guarantee in his announcement on 3 October. The Chancellor confirmed that the government will guarantee EU funding for structural and investment fund projects, including agri-environment schemes, signed after the Autumn Statement and which continue after we have left the EU provided that these deliver good value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities.

The administration of the European Social Fund in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the devolved administrations. Where the devolved administrations sign up to structural and investment fund projects under their current EU budget allocation prior to leaving the EU, the government has confirmed that it will ensure they are funded to meet the announced commitments.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2015-10-29.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Federal Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth in the German government on meeting with the Thalidomide Trust’s National Advisory Council on financial compensation for people with thalidomide.

Mr David Lidington

Following representations by the Government, senior representatives from the German government travelled to London to meet with the Trust in July. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to provide support to the Thalidomide Trust’s National Advisory Council to enable them to further their dialogue with the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens and Youth, including through another meeting.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-01-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many cases have been transferred from community rehabilitation companies to the National Probation Service for risk escalation.

Andrew Selous

Offenders managed under the statutory Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements and those who present a high risk of serious harm are managed by the National Probation Service (NPS), while medium- and lower-risk offenders are managed by the 21 Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs).

Risk is a dynamic factor, and in many cases the degree of risk presented by an offender will change during the course of his or her sentence. The new probation structure that was put in place by the previous Government is designed to respond to this by providing for management of offenders initially allocated to a CRC to transfer to the NPS if their risk increases to the higher level.

In the first eight months following the handover of the CRCs to their new owners, 5281 offenders have been transferred from CRCs to NPS, out of a total of 234,229 offenders managed by the CRCs and NPS.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will review the National Offender Management Service’s Benchmarking Policy and efficiency programme in HM Prison Rochester.

Andrew Selous

The Benchmark Project involves applying the ‘benchmark’ developed in competition. Its purpose is to contribute to the further efficiencies public prisons were required to make and to optimise the effective delivery of services to help reduce re-offending. Applying the benchmark to an establishment involves two elements: the regime refresh and a new approach to staffing, which follows the principle of resource following risk. The benchmarking process includes a mechanism for Governors to formally raise resourcing issues and for additional resources to be deployed if deemed necessary. HMP Rochester has implemented the ‘benchmark’ principles however current recruitment levels of instructional staff mean that full implementation is not yet complete. Therefore, it is not proposed to revisit the Benchmarking Policy in HMP Rochester.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-04-19.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, against which community rehabilitation companies the Authority Step-in action provided for by section 27 of the Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRC) Amended and Restated Services Agreement has been used since 1 February 2015; and in response to which issues such an action has been taken.

Andrew Selous

Thanks to these reforms, offenders in prison for less than 12 months are now receiving support from the probation providers for the very first time.

Since new owners began running Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) on 1 February 2015, the Secretary of State has not exercised his powers of written consent against any Boards of any CRC. The Secretary of State has also not used section 27 of the Amended and Restated Services Agreement against any CRC.

We closely monitor and robustly manage providers to make sure they fulfil their contractual commitments to maintain service delivery, reduce reoffending, protect the public and provide value for money to the taxpayer.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jo Stevens on 2016-10-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether employment and skills funding, announced by the Department for Work and Pensions on 26 January 2016, and allocated to the National Offender Management Service, will be guaranteed after the UK leaves the EU.

Damian Hinds

In his announcement on 13 August the Chancellor guaranteed that structural and investment funds projects, including ESF, signed before the Autumn Statement, would be fully funded. The agreement with the National Offender Management Service is covered by this guarantee. The Chancellor extended the guarantee in his announcement on 3 October. The Chancellor confirmed that the government will guarantee EU funding for structural and investment fund projects, including agri-environment schemes, signed after the Autumn Statement and which continue after we have left the EU provided that these deliver good value for money and are in line with domestic strategic priorities.

The administration of the European Social Fund in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is the responsibility of the devolved administrations. Where the devolved administrations sign up to structural and investment fund projects under their current EU budget allocation prior to leaving the EU, the government has confirmed that it will ensure they are funded to meet the announced commitments.