Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of withdrawing Sodexo's prisons contract at HM Prison Northumberland as a result of the reports of mismanagement and understaffing at that prison.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
These are extremely serious allegations which are being urgently investigated. The Justice Secretary has been clear that levels of violence and self-harm in our prisons are too high which is why we are investing an extra £100m annually to boost the frontline by 2,500 officers. Every officer will be responsible for a case load of six offenders, making sure all prisoners get the support needed to quit drugs and get the education and training that will help turn their lives around.
These are long-standing issues which will not be resolved in weeks or months but we are determined to make our prisons places of safety and reform.
We have robust processes in place to closely monitor and manage private contractors and will not hesitate to take action when standards fall short.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps her Department has taken to secure the provision of legal aid for people on low incomes.
Answered by Oliver Heald
Legal aid is a fundamental part of our justice system. We must ensure it is available for the individuals who need it, sustainable for the lawyers who provide it, and affordable for the taxpayers who ultimately pay for it.
The Government's reform programme will deliver a justice system that is more accessible to the public. It aims to support people in resolving their disputes using simpler, modern procedures.
This programme will modernise the courts and tribunal system improving the experience of everyone who comes into contact with it, including victims and witnesses. We will also make sure that the provision of legal support is updated to reflect the new way in which the justice system will work. We will publish a Green Paper on Legal Support next year.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that people on low incomes are able to access essential legal advice and support.
Answered by Oliver Heald
The Government’s reforms will modernise the courts and tribunal system and improve the experience of everyone who comes in to contact with it; particularly, and most importantly, for victims and witnesses. We need to make sure that the provision of legal support is also updated to reflect the new way in which the justice system will work.
We have already made sure that legal aid continues to be available in the most serious cases, for example where people’s life, liberty, or housing is at stake or where their children may be taken into care. The operation of, and expenditure on, the legal aid scheme is continually monitored by the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Agency.
We will, however, work closely with the legal sector; victims and witnesses and others to look across the board at the types of support needed in a modernised justice system.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners released from prison in (a) Wansbeck constituency and (b) the North East have reoffended in each of the last three years.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The requested information is not available by constituency.
Data for the North East for 2014 is available.gov.uk. Data for 2015 and 2016 will be available in October 2017 and October 2018 respectively.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average cost per prisoner is.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) routinely publishes average costs per prisoner and prison place based on actual net resource expenditure for each private and public sector prison and in summary form for the whole of the prison estate in England and Wales on an annual basis after the end of each financial year. This information is available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many unsuccessful applications for personal independence payments were appealed in 2016; and what proportion of those appeals were (a) ruled in favour of the appellant and (b) upheld by the tribunal.
Answered by Oliver Heald
This information requested is not held centrally. Published national statistics on the Personal Independence Payment is available on gov.uk.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people attempted to access legal aid and were declined in Wansbeck constituency in the last three years.
Answered by Sam Gyimah
We must ensure legal aid is sustainable and fair - both for those who need it and the taxpayer who pays for it. That is why we have made sure support remains available to the most vulnerable and in the most serious cases.
The table below shows the total number of legal aid applications received by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) alongside those not granted legal aid in the Wansbeck constituency. This information is based upon applications made to legal aid providers located and offering services within the Wansbeck constituency. Figures for those applications not granted include both those refused as well as those rejected due to incomplete information (which may then be granted in any subsequent application).
| Number of applications received | Number of applications not granted |
2013-2014 | 741 | 71 |
2014-2015 | 671 | 33 |
2015-2016 | 614 | 34 |
These figures reflect applications made via the criminal courts, civil representation and exceptional case funding schemes only. Data are not held for the legal aid schemes covering Legal Help and pre-charge criminal advice.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many civilian enforcement officers were employed by HM Courts and Tribunal Service in each year since 2010; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Oliver Heald
The number of civilian enforcement officers that were employed by HM Courts and Tribunals Service since 2013 are:-
| Headcount | FTE (Full time Equivalent) |
December 2013 | 296 | 287.49 |
December 2014 | 242 | 231.18 |
December 2015 | 212 | 202.59 |
September 2016 | 185 | 173.72 |
Data prior to 2013 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
HMCTS takes recovery and enforcement of financial impositions very seriously and is working to ensure that clamping down on defaulters is a continued priority nationwide and remains committed to finding new ways to ensure impositions are paid and to trace those who do not pay. This is why there has been a year on year increase in the total amount of financial penalties collected over the last five years. The amount of money collected has risen from £310m at the end of 2014/115 to a record of £381 million at the end of 2015/16.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many 999 calls were made by each prison establishment as a result of substance misuse including alcohol and new psychoactive substances in the last six months; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
Information about the frequency of emergency call-outs to prisons is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the cost to the public purse was of repairs to cells and prisoner accommodation required because of acts of arson in the latest period for which figures are available.
Answered by Andrew Selous - Second Church Estates Commissioner
The Information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.