Oral Answers to Questions

John Nicolson Excerpts

Tuesday 6th December 2016 Commons Chamber

[Elizabeth Truss]

As I said, we are investing £100 million in recruiting the additional 2,500 officers. We are launching a new apprenticeship scheme, a new graduate scheme and a scheme to recruit people from the armed services. We are improving career progression in the Prison Service to ensure that our experienced officers get the opportunities that they deserve. In the 25% of prisons in which we struggle to recruit in London and the south-east, we are offering additional payments. We are doing everything we can to build up that strength because it is important to delivering safe and reformed prisons.

[John Nicolson (East Dunbartonshire) (SNP)]

11. What recent progress has been made on the Government’s plan to replace the Human Rights Act 1998.

[The Minister for Courts and Justice (Sir Oliver Heald)]

As is well known, we shall set out our proposals for a Bill of Rights in due course, and we shall of course consult fully on those proposals.

[John Nicolson]

In the light of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities finding that cuts to benefits meet the threshold for human rights violations, instead of replacing the Human Rights Act, should not the Secretary of State focus on ensuring the protection of rights to which the Government are already committed?