Asked by: Lord Ramsbotham (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to announce (1) the chair, (2) the timeframe, and (3) the terms of reference, for the Royal Commission on the Criminal Justice Process announced in the Queen's Speech 2019.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Royal Commission presents an opportunity to undertake a significant independent review to investigate some key issues in the criminal justice system alongside building greater resilience following the impact of this pandemic.
We are therefore carefully considering the precise remit and timing of this Commission and will update the House in due course.
Asked by: Lord Ramsbotham (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) how many adults in prison have been actively engaged in self-study, and (2) how many adults in prison have completed accredited qualifications and assessments, in the last six months; and what plans they have to provide self-study education to adults in prison in the immediate future.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
Following the introduction of restrictions suspending the delivery of all face-to-face education in prisons due to Covid-19, we have worked with all Prison Education Framework (PEF) and Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) providers to support prisons via the remote production of various materials to provide in cell activity, distraction material and learning packs for as many prisoners as possible.
We have provisional data from the beginning of April 2020 which shows that the education providers have worked with HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) to distribute approximately 871,000 learning packs. Of these, 361,000 were course specific packs and 510,000 were generic learning packs.
During the time that restrictions have applied we have had to adapt existing recording procedures for education delivery to meet these new restrictions and we need to carry out further work with providers to assess levels of engagement and achievement.
HMPPS managers continue to maintain routine dialogue with PEF provider staff locally around the development and delivery of additional support materials to meet new and emerging needs during these restrictions.
Asked by: Lord Ramsbotham (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Keen of Elie on 16 July (HL Deb, col 1746), what additional progress they have made towards implementing the recommendations of the Independent Advisory Panel on Deaths in Custody.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
The Department has continued to take steps to implement the recommendations made in this report, as well as others made by independent experts and scrutiny bodies, as part of its robust response to protect prisoners and prison staff from COVID-19.
Progress has been reflected in the development of Exceptional Delivery Models which cover areas such as social visits, education and time in the open air. This forms an integral part of the National Framework for Prison Regime and Services Recovery which is currently being implemented.
The recommendations made by the report note the importance of clear communication and ensuring that prisoners feel supported and listened to. The majority of establishments have now resumed social visits which are vital for maintaining family contact and prisoners’ wellbeing. As we move to Stage 2 of the National Framework, prison governors will have more autonomy to shape their regimes in a way that responds to local dynamics and continues to keep staff and prisoners safe from COVID-19.
Asked by: Lord Ramsbotham (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care will reply to the letter from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists, dated 2 April, about aerosol-generated procedures for speech and language therapists.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Prevention, Public Health and Primary Care (Jo Churchill MP) replied to the letter from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists on 12 August.
Asked by: Lord Ramsbotham (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to launch (1) a whistleblowing hotline for prison staff, and (2) a campaign for such staff to raise awareness of their rights.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
We recognise the importance of the physical, emotional and social wellbeing of employees is paramount; particularly during these difficult times. Whistleblowing procedures are already in place for staff who wish to raise any concerns, including a Reporting Wrongdoing Integrity Hotline. This allows HM Prison and Probation staff to raise any concerns they may have. Relevant guidance for employees and managers is available through the intranet and the ‘My Hub’ service. HMPPS is currently reviewing and updating its whistleblowing policy, which we aim to publish later this year, following consultation with the trade unions.
We are also taking action to address unacceptable behaviours within HMPPS. In the coming months and will be putting in place a dedicated Unit to support our objective of reducing discrimination, bullying and harassment. This will include a phone line to provide advice and guidance.
Staff have access to a range of easily accessible services should they have concerns about the workplace or their own well-being. We constantly monitor these services to ensure they meet the needs of staff with such concerns.
Asked by: Lord Ramsbotham (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how the money raised for the NHS by Captain Sir Tom Moore has been allocated.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The money raised for the National Health Service by Captain Sir Tom Moore has been received by NHS Charities Together as part of the COVID-19 Urgent Appeal. NHS Charities Together launched the COVID-19 Urgent Appeal in March 2020 to help NHS charities support NHS staff, volunteers and patients, in meeting immediate and urgent needs and supporting the long-term recovery from the impact of the crisis.
NHS Charities Together are the chief partner to the country’s NHS Charities and are best placed to make decisions on how the money raised will be distributed. They are working with their members to identify where additional support is most urgently needed by NHS staff, volunteers and patients. They are particularly focused on providing support for people who are disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 crisis, including patients and staff from the black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.
Asked by: Lord Ramsbotham (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists about the use of aerosol generating procedures.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The evidence around aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) is being kept under review; the evidence review is led by Public Health Scotland.
Public Health England has not held discussions with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists about AGPs.
This guidance has been written and reviewed by all four United Kingdom public health bodies and informed by National Health Service infection prevention control experts. It is based on Health Protection Scotland evidence reviews and the evidence and reviews have been endorsed by New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG). A rapid evidence appraisal has been conducted by Health Protection Scotland to assess the risk of patient to healthcare worker infection transmission associated with a wide range of potentially aerosol generating medical procedures. An updated evidence review and the position on the presented evidence review from NERVTAG is awaited.
Asked by: Lord Ramsbotham (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to update the COVID-19 infection and control guidance, published on 6 April, to include all aerosol generating procedures carried out by speech and language therapists.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The evidence around aerosol generating procedures (AGPs) is being kept under review; the evidence review is led by Public Health Scotland.
Public Health England has not held discussions with the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists about AGPs.
This guidance has been written and reviewed by all four United Kingdom public health bodies and informed by National Health Service infection prevention control experts. It is based on Health Protection Scotland evidence reviews and the evidence and reviews have been endorsed by New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG). A rapid evidence appraisal has been conducted by Health Protection Scotland to assess the risk of patient to healthcare worker infection transmission associated with a wide range of potentially aerosol generating medical procedures. An updated evidence review and the position on the presented evidence review from NERVTAG is awaited.
Asked by: Lord Ramsbotham (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what data prisons are required to collect on the purposes for which prisoners are Released on Temporary Licence.
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
It is not possible, except at disproportionate cost, to establish the number of prisoners who have been released on ROTL to allow access to higher and further education in each of the last three years.
There are four categories of ROTL: Resettlement Day Release (RDR), Resettlement Overnight Release (ROR), Special Purpose Licence (SPL) and Childcare Resettlement Licence (CRL). Prisons are required to record the reasons for each release on temporary licence choosing from the following options. They are not required to specify the level of education:
(RDR) Education or Training
(RDR) Paid Work - Retail and Wholesale
(RDR) Paid Work – Manufacturing
(RDR) Paid Work - Catering and hospitality
(RDR) Paid Work - Transportation and storage
(RDR) Paid Work - Construction and recycling
(RDR) Paid Work - IT and communication
(RDR) Paid Work - Agriculture and horticulture
(RDR) Paid Work - Other
(RDR) Unpaid Work - Retail and Wholesale
(RDR) Unpaid Work – Manufacturing
(RDR) Unpaid Work - Catering and hospitality
(RDR) Unpaid Work - Transportation and storage
(RDR) Unpaid Work - Construction and recycling
(RDR) Unpaid Work - IT and communication
(RDR) Unpaid Work - Agriculture and horticulture
(RDR) Unpaid Work - Other
(RDR) Prisoner Apprenticeships Pathway
(RDR) Maintain Family Ties
(RDR) Outside Prison Activities
(RDR) Accommodation Related
(RDR) Other RDR Linked to Sentence/Resettlement Plan
(ROR) Resettlement Overnight Release
(SPL) Funeral
(SPL) Visit Dying Relative
(SPL) Medical/Dental Inpatient Appointment
(SPL) Medical/Dental Outpatient Appointment
(SPL) Other Compassionate Reason
(SPL) Court/Legal/Police/Prison Transfer
(CRL) Childcare Resettlement Licence
Asked by: Lord Ramsbotham (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in conducting a national review of deaths under post-release probation supervision, as stated in their response to the 12th report of the Health and Social Care Select Committee Prison Health (HC Paper 963).
Answered by Lord Keen of Elie - Shadow Minister (Justice)
In our response to the Health and Social Care Select Committee the Government committed to undertake a review of deaths under post release supervision during 2019-20. Scoping work has been undertaken, and the full review is on track to be completed within this time period. This is in addition to the existing requirement on all probation providers to conduct an internal review following each death, and to share learning from these reviews.
The number of deaths of offenders under post-release supervision decreased from 401 in 2016/17 to 367 in 2017/18, a fall of 8%. The National Suicide Prevention Strategy identifies people in contact with the criminal justice system as a high-risk group, and we recognise that the time following release from prison can be a particularly high-risk period for suicide and for deaths from other causes. The primary role of probation is to protect the public and prevent re-offending, and people under supervision in the community are not in the care of HM Prison and Probation Service in the way that they are when in custody. While probation staff do everything they can to help offenders find access to vital services including healthcare, housing, and treatment for drug and alcohol problems, they do not have sole responsibility for caring for them. The national review aims to identify what further actions may be appropriate to prevent offenders’ deaths, while recognising that a range of other organisations share responsibility for their wellbeing.
We are also investing an extra £22m in ‘through-the-gate’ assistance for offenders, to help them find the support they need on issues such as housing, healthcare and employment, and they have the same access to these services as any other person in the community.