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Tag: Steve Reed

  • Steve Reed – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Violence in Prisons

    Steve Reed – 2023 Parliamentary Question on Violence in Prisons

    The parliamentary question asked by Steve Reed, the Shadow Justice Minister, in the House of Commons on 10 January 2023.

    Steve Reed (Croydon North) (Lab/Co-op)

    There were a quarter of a million violent assaults inside prison over the last decade. Last year alone, over 8,000 weapons were found inside prison. Does the Secretary of State accept responsibility for the fact that violence is now rife in our prisons?

    Dominic Raab

    I do not accept that categorisation. What I would say is that we have introduced a whole range of measures, from drug testing to X-ray scanners, and we are now seeing enforcement picking up contraband which, frankly, was not being dealt with before. Last year, the hon. Gentleman criticised the funding we are putting into X-ray scanners. I wonder whether he will now withdraw those remarks.

    Steve Reed

    I wonder whether drug testing is working, because drug abuse in prisons has shot up by 400% since the Conservatives came to power. Last year, crack cocaine was found being manufactured in cells inside Sudbury prison. Rising violence, rising drug abuse—does the Justice Secretary admit that the Government have lost control of our prisons?

    Dominic Raab

    No, and as I announced just a few moments ago we are introducing more scanners so that we detect, pick up and stop the flow of contraband into prison, whether drugs, mobile phones or weapons. We also have a step change in the approach to drug treatment. For example, we have fewer heroin addicts dumped on methadone indefinitely, and more drug recovery wings and more incentivised wings for substance-free living. That is the way to sustainably get offenders off drugs, and it also links in with all the work we are doing to get offenders into work.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2015-12-17.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to review the effectiveness of the general power of competence.

    Mr Marcus Jones

    The Conservative led coalition Government gave a commitment that a post implementation review of the provisions of the Localism Act 2011, including the provisions relating to the general power of competence, would be undertaken within three to five years following implementation. We will honour that commitment.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-02-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much his Department has spent on (a) hospitality and (b) catering since May 2015.

    Brandon Lewis

    Guidance to staff now states that refreshments may only be ordered for meetings with external attendees of longer than four hours.

    The Department has no separate budget for hospitality and catering. The Department spent £10,829.44 on hospitality from May 2015 to 29 February 2016.

    This compares to a bill of almost £500,000 in the last year of the Labour Government.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time taken to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service check, including the time taken by the Metropolitan Police, was in London for each year since 2010.

    Karen Bradley

    The average times taken for the Disclosure and Barring Service to complete all Enhanced Disclosure applications for applicants with a London postcode are listed in the following table.

    Financial Year

    Average Turnaround Days

    2010/11

    50

    2011/12

    20

    2012/13

    12

    2013/14

    14

    2014/15

    19

    2015/16

    24
  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the contract with Maximus for delivery of the Fit for Work programme includes provision of public funding for taxi journeys for anyone (a) turned away from or (b) moved to a different assessment centre.

    Penny Mordaunt

    The Fit for Work service provides a supportive occupational health assessment and general health and work advice to employees, employers and General Practitioners (GPs), to help individuals stay in or return to work. Advice is delivered via a website, telephone line and webchat and does not involve participants travelling to an Assessment Centre.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-01-12.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 18 September 2015 to Question 8917, what recent assessment she has made of the performance of the Disclosure and Barring service; and what the average processing time is for disclosure applications.

    Karen Bradley

    The average processing time for disclosure applications was 15.3 days in December 2015, the latest month for which figures are available. The DBS operates to a target to issue 95% of disclosure certificates within 56 days (8 weeks) and 94.3% were issued within this target in December 2015.

    DBS is working closely with those forces who performance does not meet turnaround time targets.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Communities and Local Government

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-03-01.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 25 February 2016 to Question 27333, which local authorities he has visited in connection with the Northern Powerhouse.

    Greg Clark

    As part of my Ministerial duties I visit local authorities across the country, including regular visit in connection with the Northern Powerhouse.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-05-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the current average waiting time is for the completion of pre-employment checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service in (a) England and Wales and (b) London.

    Karen Bradley

    Performance data relating to April 2016 for the average time taken by the Disclosure and Barring Service to complete Standard and Enhanced applications is listed in the following table.

    (a) Based upon applicants living in England or Wales:

    Month

    Average Turnaround Time in Days

    Apr-16

    16

    (b) Based upon applicants living in London:

    Month

    Average Turnaround Time in Days

    Apr-16

    28

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  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-09-13.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what guidance his Department has given to Maximus to ensure that centres used for Fit for Work assessments are accessible to wheelchair users.

    Penny Mordaunt

    All Assessment Centres utilised by MAXIMUS to undertake Work Capability Assessments meet accessibility standards under the Equality Act 2010.

    Before attending an assessment, claimants are given the opportunity to alert the assessment provider to any additional requirements they may have and the provider will endeavour to meet all reasonable requests.

    If a claimant is unable to travel to or access an Assessment Centre as a result of their health condition or impairment, a home visit may be offered.

    This is unconnected to Fit for Work, a website, telephone line and webchat service that does not involve participants travelling to an assessment centre. Fit for Work provides a supportive occupational health assessment and general health and work advice to employees, employers and General Practitioners (GPs) to help individuals stay in or return to work.

  • Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    Steve Reed – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Work and Pensions

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Steve Reed on 2016-01-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of adults with autism are in full-time employment; and what steps his Department is taking to help adults on the autism spectrum into work.

    Justin Tomlinson

    Government does not collect data specifically on employment rates for people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC).

    Estimates are available from the National Autistic Society (NAS), who suggest that 15% of working age people with autism are in full time employment.

    Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is taking a number of steps to help adults on the autism spectrum into work, including:

    • the development of an Autism/ Hidden Impairment Network across Jobcentre Plus;
    • the expansion of the Access to Work Mental Health specialist advisory team to cover people with autism and associated hidden impairment conditions;
    • work to implement autism specific opportunities on LMS, Jobcentre Plus’s IT system;
    • the introduction of a Job-Shadowing Work Placement Initiative for young disabled people (65% of participants in the first tranche had autistic spectrum conditions)
    • The formation of an Autism Taskforce involving disability organisations and disabled people.

    DWP has worked in close partnership with the Hidden Impairment National Group (HING) to produce an ‘Uncovering Hidden Impairments’ toolkit, which helps employers to recruit and retain people with hidden impairment conditions.

    DWP is fully committed to the Government’s Autism Strategy. The latest progress report on the Autism Strategy can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/progress-report-on-strategy-for-adults-with-autism

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