Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have not yet responded to the report by the EU Justice Sub-Committee, <i>The UK, the EU and a British Bill of Rights</i>, published on 9 May 2016; and when they plan to issue the response.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie
Sir Oliver Heald wrote on 30 November concerning the Government’s response to Lord Boswell in his capacity as Chair of the EU Committee. In his letter, Sir Oliver said that the Government is currently considering human rights reform in the context of the future constitutional framework of the United Kingdom following the vote to leave the EU, and is therefore not in a position to provide a substantive response to the Sub-Committee’s report at this time.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have undergone the programme of deradicalisation referred to as the Healthy Identities Intervention since it was accredited; how many people are awaiting access to the programme; which establishments currently offer the programme; and how many programmes are being offered at each establishment, including the number of individuals able to access each course.
Answered by Lord Faulks
The Healthy Identity Intervention (HII) has not been accredited by the Correctional Services Advice & Accreditation panel (CSAAP) as it is not compatible with the criteria currently used.
There have been 65 HII completions since its pilot in 2010-11. Sixteen people are currently undertaking HII. There are currently 15 people waiting to begin the intervention. This can be for a number of reasons, including involvement in other offender behaviour programmes, or mental health problems.
Healthy Identity is targeted at those convicted under the terrorism legislation where extremism was their primary motive. Where violence is the primary motive, other Offender Behaviour programmes may be used. Healthy Identity Interventions is not commissioned for specific establishments in the same way as other offending behaviour programmes. HII is available widely across England and Wales prisons and probation services. It is delivered by trained chartered psychologists and experienced probation officers. There are currently 145 trained HII facilitators.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people aged (1) 21 and over, and (2) under 21, are currently in prison for a terrorist offence; of those, (a) how many have been released on licence since January 2014, and (b) how many have undergone a programme of resettlement or deradicalisation; and what information they have on the effectiveness of resettlement or deradicalisation programmes.
Answered by Lord Faulks
As of Friday 23 October, there were 94 prisoners convicted of or on remand for offences under Terrorism Act legislation in prisons in England and Wales. Of these, 85 are 21 and over, and 9 are under 21. Of these 94 prisoners, 2 have been released and subsequently recalled to prison since January 2014.
Of the 94, 46 prisoners have undertaken the Extremism Risk Guidelines assessment. These assessments only occur when a prisoner has been convicted and settled in to prison. The Secretary of State has asked the department to review its approach to dealing with Islamist extremism in prisons and probation. This will be supported by external expertise and will sit alongside the cross government work currently underway on developing de-radicalisation programmes.
Asked by: Baroness Kennedy of Shaws (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many unaccompanied migrant children appeared in appeal proceedings in 2014 against orders made.
Answered by Lord Faulks
There were 303 unaccompanied migrant children recorded as appellants in asylum cases in the Immigration and Asylum First Tier Tribunal in 2014. The database does not record whether the appellant actually attended a tribunal hearing, which may be held on case files but could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. HMCTS do not record whether witnesses are unaccompanied migrant children. Other courts and tribunals do not record whether a party or a witness in a case is an unaccompanied child migrant.