Tag: Teresa Pearce

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken in response to the findings set out in the 2014-15 Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HM Prison Belmarsh on the prison’s online and telephone booking system.

Andrew Selous

We had already recognised the issues highlighted in the 2014-15 Annual Report of the Independent Monitoring Board at HM Prison Belmarsh. I am pleased to inform the hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead that we will be increasing the number of social visit slots that are available per session and we have added an additional booking telephone line. There are also plans to introduce an automated system to increase our capacity to manage visit calls.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-01-13.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on public sector and charitable provision of consumer debt advice services.

Damian Hinds

The Money Advice Service (MAS) is responsible for the coordination of publicly funded free to client debt advice. MAS is financed by a levy on the financial services industry. MAS is currently consulting on its business plan; it has proposed levying for a constant budget for debt advice for 2016/17 providing around £45 million to its third sector partners for the provision of debt advice.

More broadly the Government is currently reviewing how the public provision of free-to-client, impartial financial guidance, including consumer debt advice services, should be structured to give consumers the information they need to make financial decisions. The Public Financial Guidance consultation closed in December 2015 and the Government will report back by budget.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times (a) family and (b) legal visits to prisoners in HM Prison Belmarsh have been cancelled in each of the last 12 months; and for what reason each such visit was cancelled.

Andrew Selous

Family and legal visits have been cancelled on two occasions in the last 12 months at HM Prison Belmarsh. These were;

8 October 2015 – Due to a full lock down search of the prison

9 December 2015 – To enable a Trade Union meeting

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-01-13.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what his policy is on the commercial provision of consumer debt advice services.

Harriett Baldwin

The Government is very concerned about evidence of consumer detriment in the debt management market. That is why we have given the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) robust powers to protect borrowers using debt management firms.

For profit debt management plan providers, operating with consumers’ interest at heart and in full compliance with regulatory requirements, can help provide a wider supply of solutions and products for consumers, and help them get in control of problem debts. The Government’s focus has therefore been on comprehensively reforming regulation of this sector, and ensuring firms act in customers’ best interests.

The FCA is currently scrutinising debt management firms as part of its authorisation process. Firms which do not meet the required standards will not be able to continue to provide debt management services.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2016-02-22.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to prevent family and legal visits being cancelled in prisons in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Selous

Maintaining family ties, including through visits, plays a vital role in helping prisoners turn away from crime.

All convicted prisoners are entitled to a minimum of two visits every 28 days and this has not changed since 1992. Extra visits can also be granted.

The Public Sector Prisons benchmark provides prisons with a core day and staffing resource to deliver all required activities and services. Part of the benchmark provision is the delivery of social and legal visits and there is an expectation that these are critical activities which will not be cancelled.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Teresa Pearce on 2015-09-17.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any prisoners in HM Prisons have been deprived of (a) water and (b) electricity by prison officials as a disciplinary measure in the last five years.

Andrew Selous

Neither deprivation of water nor of electricity is sanctioned as a disciplinary measure within prisons in England and Wales.