Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the Target Operating Model on Divisional Sex Offender Units.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many requests were completed by frontline HM Prison and Probation Service staff for prisoners to be exempted from the End of Custody Supervised Licence scheme in each month since October 2023; and how many and what proportion of these requests were granted by senior HM Prison and Probation Service managers.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
End of Custody Supervised Licence began in October 2023. Analysis of its use will be based on at least one year’s worth of data, and published in line with the same approach we take for other statistical releases such as deaths of offenders in the community.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many qualified probation officers were in post at the end of March in each year since 2020.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Staffing levels across HMPPS are publicly available in the “HM Prison and Probation Service workforce quarterly” Official Statistics release, published at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-offender-management-service-workforce-statistics.
Information on the number of staff by grade is available in Table 3 of the accompanying data tables, which can be found at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6644d719ae748c43d3793c71/hmpps-workforce-statistics-tables-mar-2024_final.ods.
As of 31 March 2024, there were 5,139 full-time equivalent (FTE) Probation Officers in post. This is an increase of 718 FTE since 31 March 2023.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the number and proportion of prisoners that were released under the End of Custody Supervised License scheme who were homeless upon their release from prison in each month since October 2023.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) began in October 2023. Analysis of its use will be based on at least one year’s worth of data and published in line with the same approach we take for other statistical releases such as deaths of offenders in the community. We cannot provide any breakdowns of the ECSL cohort ahead of publication because they would give an early indication of that cohort and hence these statistics.
Release under ECSL follows the same planning and arrangements as release at the normal automatic release point and that includes making suitable arrangements for accommodation.
We know that having a safe place to stay helps cut crime which is why we are investing in our ground-breaking transitional accommodation service so prison leavers can have a guaranteed 12 weeks of basic, temporary accommodation to provide a stable base on release.
His Majesty’s Prisons and Probation Service has a statutory duty in England to refer someone at risk of homelessness to a local authority for assistance and we have worked closely with DLUHC on the design and delivery of its Accommodation for Ex-Offenders scheme.
In 2022/23, 86% of prisoners were accommodated on first night of release, up from 80% in 2019/20.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Approved Premises referrals were submitted by probation staff to accommodate people released on an End of Custody Supervised Licence in each month since October 2023; and how many and what proportion of those referrals were rejected.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) began in October 2023. Analysis of its use will be based on at least one year’s worth of data and published in line with the same approach we take for other statistical releases such as deaths of offenders in the community. We cannot provide any breakdowns of the ECSL cohort ahead of publication because they would give an early indication of that cohort and hence these statistics.
HMPPS currently delivers 104 Approved Premises across the country to accommodate higher risk prison leavers and people on probation. They provide a high level of supervision in a controlled environment and are closely integrated with Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA).
Beyond their role in public protection, Approved Premises can also play a key role in improving the rehabilitation of prison leavers, ensuring they have a place to stay upon release, and a stable environment from which to engage with wider support including helping source employment opportunities and engage with drug and alcohol treatment.
Overall, we provide 2,357 spaces and accommodate approximately 11,300 individuals each year in Approved Premises.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people released on an end of custody supervised licence were subject to a serious further offence review in each month since October 2023.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) began in October 2023. Analysis of its use will be based on at least one year’s worth of data and published in line with the same approach we take for other statistical releases such as deaths of offenders in the community.
Figures on the number of serious further offence (SFO) reviews for 2023/24 will be published in October 2024. Figures will be accessible using the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proven-reoffending-statistics
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people released on End of Custody Supervised Licence were assessed as posing a high risk of harm in each month since October 2023.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) began in October 2023. Analysis of its use will be based on at least one year’s worth of data and published in line with the same approach we take for other statistical releases such as deaths of offenders in the community.
There are strict eligibility criteria for release on ECSL.
Only some offenders due for automatic release on licence at the half-way point of their sentence are eligible to be considered for release under these arrangements. Offenders whose release is a matter for the Parole Board to assess are not in scope.
It remains at the discretion of the prison service to prevent the ECSL release of any prisoners where releasing an offender earlier presents a heightened risk than if they were released at their automatic release date. HMPPS senior leaders will take decisions over exclusions following advice from HM Prison and Probation Service staff.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of people released on an End of Custody Supervised Licence were subsequently (a) recalled back to prison and (b) subject to a Death Under Supervision Review in each month since October 2023.
Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
End of Custody Supervised Licence (ECSL) began in October 2023. Analysis of its use will be based on at least one year’s worth of data and published in line with the same approach we take for other statistical releases such as deaths of offenders in the community.
The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) carries out independent investigations into complaints and deaths in custody. This includes deaths of recently released prisoners that occur within 14 days of release from prison (except homicide).
Fatal Incident reports are published on the PPO website - Fatal Incident reports | Document Types | Prisons & Probation Ombudsman (ppo.gov.uk)
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps his Department is taking with the UK Embassy in Colombia to support the peace talks between the Colombian government and the Segunda Marquetalia.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In February the UK jointly led the third UN Security Council (UNSC) visit to Colombia in support of the 2016 peace process. The Council met with President Petro and the Colombian High Commissioner for Peace to discuss the Colombian Government's vision to broaden peace through dialogue with armed groups, including Segunda Marquetalia. Through our role as penholder at the UN Security Council (UNSC), the UK will continue to work closely with international partners in support of the peace process in Colombia and the Colombian Government's efforts to expand the scope of peace in Colombia through dialogue and through comprehensive implementation of the Final Peace Agreement.
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many homes are classified as non-decent by (a) age and (b) tenure type in (i) Luton South constituency, (ii) Bedfordshire, and (iii) England.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Everyone deserves to live in a safe and decent home. This is why we are introducing a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector for the first time through the Renters (Reform) Bill.
We are also reviewing the Decent Homes Standard, which sets out the minimum requirements for all social housing.
Data on housing decency is published regularly via the English Housing Survey at local authority level.