Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the recent report published by Barnardo’s and the Co-op, Deeper Roots, Stronger Futures: Unlocking the Potential of Food Partnerships with Young People, what assessment have they made of the role of food partnerships in supporting young people; and whether this will be reflected in their upcoming youth strategy.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We will review this report as part of our work to develop a new National Youth Strategy. The Strategy is being co-produced with young people and stakeholders working with and for young people, and the breadth of issues it covers will be shaped by our engagement.
The strategy will aim to better coordinate youth services, as well as move away from one-size-fits all approaches from central government, bringing power back to young people and their communities and rebuilding a thriving and sustainable sector. We will be publishing the strategy in the autumn.
Alongside this, The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ food strategy will articulate the outcomes we want from the food system enabling government, civil society, and the food industry to work to shared goals and priorities. Local and place-based approaches will have a key role to play in delivery of these outcomes. The government will continue to work with partners across the food system as we develop our approach.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether their forthcoming food strategy will include a commitment to establish a food partnership in every local authority area by 2030, with opportunities for young people to be involved from the outset.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The food strategy will articulate the outcomes we want from the food system enabling the Government, civil society, and the food industry work to shared goals and priorities. Local and place-based approaches will have a key role to play in delivery of these outcomes. We will continue to work with partners across the food system as we develop our approach.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to replace custodial sentences of 12 months or fewer with community sentences.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Independent Sentencing Review has recommended that the Government limit the use of short custodial sentences, a position we support.
We know that community orders and suspended sentence orders can more effectively reduce reoffending when compared to short sentences of immediate custody. While short custodial sentences may be useful in some circumstances, they often fall short in the meaningful rehabilitation of offenders and have a limited deterrent effect. Instead, more of those individuals should be dealt with through tough community sentences that incentivise them to turn their lives around.
Following the Independent Sentencing Review, we will bring forward legislation, in the coming months.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many (1) men, and (2) women, over the age of 50 received custodial sentences of 12 months or fewer for non-violent offences over the past three years.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice publishes data on sentences for non-violent offences in England and Wales in the Outcomes by Offences data tool. The data tool can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/criminal-justice-system-statistics-quarterly-december-2024.
The number of over 50-year-old men and women who received custodial sentences of 12 months or less for non-violent offences can be found in the table below.
The number of people aged 50 and above who received a custodial sentence of 12 months or fewer for non-violent offences, in England and Wales (1,2,3,4,5)
Sentenced | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Male | 2,650 | 2,900 | 3,630 |
Female | 215 | 225 | 269 |
| 2,865 | 3,125 | 3,899 |
Source: Court Proceedings Database
Notes:
1. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.
2. These figures are presented on a principal offence basis - i.e. reporting information relating to the most serious offence that a defendant was dealt with for. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
3. These figures are presented on a principal disposal basis - i.e. reporting the most severe sentence issued for the offence.
4. The figures in the table exclude violence against the person offences but some offences that involved the use of violence can still be recorded under other offence categories.
5. The age recorded is the age at the point of sentencing.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Timpson on 9 June (HL7762), why they are not planning to renew HMP Eastwood Park’s current programme for prisoners aged 50 and over.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
A contract for Creative Engagement provision at HMP Eastwood Park has been put out to tender and will include elements of previous provision plus additionality to engage and support women in their personal development. This provision will be available to all women, including those over 50.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the incidence of animal welfare breaches on farms, including animals being beaten or mutilated, sick animals being left untreated, and animals left in unsanitary conditions; and what steps they are taking to ensure breaches are detected and enforcement action taken.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) investigates all allegations of non-compliance thoroughly. Where breaches of the law are identified, appropriate enforcement action is taken. This may include follow-up, unannounced inspections to ensure that compliance has been achieved and maintained. Where necessary, APHA works closely with Local Authorities to coordinate enforcement measures
According to the latest Multi-Annual National Control Plan (MANCP) annual report for 2022, compliance rates across the farming sector remained high. To promote transparency and accountability, we are actively working with Local Authorities to improve the collection and publication of data relating to on-farm inspections and enforcement activities.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether prisoners over the age of 50 with complex or multiple needs are still considered to be a separate cohort.
Answered by Lord Timpson - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
We have always recognised the distinct needs of older prisoners, some of whom can have complex health and social care requirements.
We welcome the Independent Sentencing Review’s recommendation to produce a national strategy for older prisoners, including those with complex or multiple needs and are currently speaking to partners to agree how we take this forward.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the ecological and environmental damage caused by the collision between two ships in the North Sea on 10 March.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Defra worked with multiple organisations, including the Centre of Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas). Cefas’s Premiam Monitoring Coordination Cell (PMCC) was set up immediately following this incident. This cell implements post-incident monitoring to assess the impacts of marine pollution incidents and as part of this, shellfish (seafood) and seawater samples were collected in the days and weeks following the incident. The analysis from these samples has indicated that there were no significant adverse ecological or environmental impacts due to fuel or chemicals released from either vessel, or during the response to the incident.
Plastic nurdles and burned debris washed ashore along the Lincolnshire and North Norfolk coast following the incident. Large quantities of plastic pollution and debris were recovered from the shoreline and the sea. Work is still ongoing regarding this, with Environment Agency staff regularly visiting affected sites to assess and if necessary, remove newly visible pollution.
The PMCC has now been stood down, but the impacts of this incident are continuously monitored as part of routine ongoing water and environmental sampling in the area.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their plan and timetable for ratifying the Global Ocean Treaty.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Government is completely committed to ratification of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement, also known as the "High Seas Treaty" or "Global Ocean Treaty"), which is in line with our determination to reinvigorate the UK's wider international leadership on climate and nature. Legislation will be introduced by the end of the year to enable ratification of the BBNJ Agreement.
Asked by: Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas, and if so when.
Answered by Baroness Hayman of Ullock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is committed to protecting and restoring our ocean to good health, delivering on our commitment to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030. We have recently announced a consultation on plans to ban bottom trawling in a further 41 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), covering 30,000 square kilometres of England’s waters. This is in addition to the 60% of MPAs that already have byelaws in place to protect them from damaging fishing activity, and to existing protections provided by the marine planning and licensing regimes. The consultation on these new proposals will run from 9 June to 1 September 2025.