Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many women have ceased to hold their existing roles as a result of changes to vetting requirements introduced through the prison service instruction and probation service instruction Security Vetting: PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014, in each year since its implementation.
Answered by Lord Timpson
Information on individuals who have ceased to hold roles following changes to security vetting requirements is not routinely collated or reported centrally in the manner requested.
In addition, the Ministry of Justice does not centrally hold sufficiently robust or complete data on protected characteristics, including gender, in relation to vetting outcomes under PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014. Vetting and pre-employment checks are undertaken through a combination of HMPPS, Shared Services Limited, and other parallel processes.
While certain protected characteristic information may be held by third-party providers, HMPPS does not record the reasons individuals cease to hold roles, nor does it record such outcomes by gender within its management information systems. As a result, a consolidated and reliable breakdown of the number of women who have ceased to hold existing roles as a result of changes to vetting requirements introduced through PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014, is not available and therefore cannot be provided.
The Ministry of Justice is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and to ensuring that policies and operational practices comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty. Security vetting requirements are applied consistently and proportionately in accordance with national policy and business need.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many women employed by organisations providing services to probation under contract have been refused vetting clearance under the prison service instruction and probation service instruction Security Vetting: PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014.
Answered by Lord Timpson
The Ministry of Justice does not centrally hold sufficiently robust or complete data on protected characteristics, including gender, in relation to vetting outcomes under PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014. Vetting and pre-employment checks are undertaken through a combination of HMPPS, Shared Services Limited, and other parallel processes.
While certain protected characteristic information may be held by third-party providers, HMPPS does not record vetting outcomes by gender within its management information systems. As a result, a consolidated and reliable breakdown of the number of women employed by organisations providing services to probation under contract who have been refused vetting clearance is not available and therefore cannot be provided.
The Ministry of Justice is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and to ensuring that policies and operational practices comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty. Security vetting requirements are applied consistently and proportionately in accordance with national policy and business need.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they made, during the development of the prison service instruction and probation service instruction Security Vetting: PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014, of the potential impact on individuals already employed by (1) prisons, (2) HM Prison and Probation Service, and (3) providers of probation services.
Answered by Lord Timpson
All Ministry of Justice policies are subject to equality considerations, and an Equality Impact Assessment is completed before publication where required.
PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014 is a long-standing policy that was first published in 2014 and applies to staff and workers across prisons, HMPPS and providers of probation services. The policy is currently being revised and, as part of the redevelopment process, impacts on affected individuals will be considered. Any new policy will be subject to the appropriate Equality Impact Assessment requirements prior to publication.
The specific findings of the assessment undertaken when the policy was published are not currently in the public domain. HMPPS is unable to establish the detail of those findings in a timely manner as accurate, reliable data.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have conducted an Equality Impact Assessment of the prison service instruction and probation service instruction Security Vetting: PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014; what assessment was made of the impact of the framework on women; and what conclusions were reached.
Answered by Lord Timpson
All Ministry of Justice policies are subject to equality considerations, and an Equality Impact Assessment is completed before publication where required.
PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014 is a long-standing policy that was first published in 2014 and applies to staff and workers across prisons, HMPPS and providers of probation services. The policy is currently being revised and, as part of the redevelopment process, impacts on affected individuals will be considered. Any new policy will be subject to the appropriate Equality Impact Assessment requirements prior to publication.
The specific findings of the assessment undertaken when the policy was published are not currently in the public domain. HMPPS is unable to establish the detail of those findings in a timely manner as accurate, reliable data.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they conducted an Equality Impact Assessment of the prison service instruction and probation service instruction Security Vetting: PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014 for (1) prisons, (2) HM Prison and Probation Service, and (3) providers of probation services.
Answered by Lord Timpson
All Ministry of Justice policies are subject to equality considerations, and an Equality Impact Assessment is completed before publication where required.
PSI 07/2014, PI 03/2014 is a long-standing policy that was first published in 2014 and applies to staff and workers across prisons, HMPPS and providers of probation services. The policy is currently being revised and, as part of the redevelopment process, impacts on affected individuals will be considered. Any new policy will be subject to the appropriate Equality Impact Assessment requirements prior to publication.
The specific findings of the assessment undertaken when the policy was published are not currently in the public domain. HMPPS is unable to establish the detail of those findings in a timely manner as accurate, reliable data.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of women being held on remand are remanded for their own protection; and what assessment they have made of the reasons why they are being remanded for their own protection.
Answered by Lord Timpson
There is no centrally collated statistical data available on the number of women currently remanded in custody for their own protection under the Bail Act 1976, or the court’s justification for the decision to remand an individual for their own protection.
The court’s decision to remand an individual in custody for their own protection is used as a last resort and out of concern for the defendant, where circumstances are such that a defendant would come to harm if released into the community and there is no other suitable option available to the courts.
The Mental Health Act received Royal Assent in December 2025. It includes a reform to end the use of remand for own protection under the Bail Act where the court’s sole concern is the defendant’s mental health. The reform will commence by regulation when we are confident it is safe to do so. In advance of implementation, we are working with partners to collect data on cases where concerns around mental health are the only reason this power is used.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners in England and Wales received "two-strike" sentences between 21 March 1997 and 4 April 2005; and how many of that number have (1) never been released, or (2) been recalled to prison following release.
Answered by Lord Timpson
Data on individuals serving specifically “two strike” life sentences is not readily available from within centrally collated statistical data. As a result, to identify from the life sentence population those serving “two strike” life sentences, and of those, the individuals who have subsequently been recalled following release, would only be possible at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether a three-month prognosis is required for a prisoner to be considered for early release on compassionate grounds.
Answered by Lord Timpson
The Secretary of State has a statutory power to grant the early release of prisoners serving a sentence or term of imprisonment in custody on compassionate grounds. The power is used in exceptional circumstances only and in accordance with the HMPPS Early Release on Compassionate Grounds Policy Framework.
The table shows the number of prisoners granted early release on compassionate grounds from 2021 to 2025. We do not centrally collate information on the number of applications for such early release.
Calendar year | Total |
2021 | 11 |
2022 | 1 |
2023 | 7 |
2024 | 6 |
2025 | 3 |
The figures from this table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
The Policy Framework makes clear that there are no prescribed timescales for completing an application for release. However, it is imperative that applications are expedited as far as possible and that they provide all the necessary information, including medical evidence, for an informed decision to be made without delay.
Medical evidence must include a report from the prison GP and an additional report from the medical specialist involved in the care of the prisoner. These reports should provide a diagnosis, an assessment for incapacity/frailty, prognosis, treatment pathway/plan and, where applicable, a clear indication of life expectancy.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners (1) applied for, and (2) were granted, early release on compassionate grounds in each of the past five years.
Answered by Lord Timpson
The Secretary of State has a statutory power to grant the early release of prisoners serving a sentence or term of imprisonment in custody on compassionate grounds. The power is used in exceptional circumstances only and in accordance with the HMPPS Early Release on Compassionate Grounds Policy Framework.
The table shows the number of prisoners granted early release on compassionate grounds from 2021 to 2025. We do not centrally collate information on the number of applications for such early release.
Calendar year | Total |
2021 | 11 |
2022 | 1 |
2023 | 7 |
2024 | 6 |
2025 | 3 |
The figures from this table have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.
The Policy Framework makes clear that there are no prescribed timescales for completing an application for release. However, it is imperative that applications are expedited as far as possible and that they provide all the necessary information, including medical evidence, for an informed decision to be made without delay.
Medical evidence must include a report from the prison GP and an additional report from the medical specialist involved in the care of the prisoner. These reports should provide a diagnosis, an assessment for incapacity/frailty, prognosis, treatment pathway/plan and, where applicable, a clear indication of life expectancy.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Gloucester (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many prisoners were moved into a hospice in each of the past five years.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
As the majority of hospices are independent charitable organisations, neither the Government nor NHS England collect or hold their data, including information on how many prisoners have been moved into a hospice.
Whilst the majority of palliative care and end-of-life care is provided by National Health Service staff and services, we recognise the vital part that voluntary sector organisations, including hospices, also play in providing support to people at the end of life and their loved ones.
Hospices operate as autonomous bodies, managing their own funding structures and the provision of their services. This autonomy allows them to maintain their independence and offer services beyond the statutory NHS offer.