Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent assessment he has made of the value for money of outsourced contracted services provided by (a) Capita, (b) Serco, (c) G4S and (d) Clearsprings.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

The Government will always aim to secure value for money and social value. With the creation of the Office for Value for Money the government will undertake value for money studies in specific high-risk areas of cross-departmental spending, and scrutinise investment proposals to ensure they offer value for money.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) standard delivery, (b) fast delivery, and (c) oral pre-sentence reports have been produced in (i) Wales and (ii) England in each of the last 10 years.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Pre-sentence reports (PSRs) provide an expert assessment of the nature and causes of the offender's behaviour, the risk the offender poses and to whom, as well as an independent recommendation of the options available to support the independent judiciary in deciding the appropriate sentence. The decision on whether to direct the preparation of a PSR and any adjournment to produce that report is, along with the sentence itself, a matter for the independent judiciary. Since 2014, the following numbers of PSRs have been produced in Wales and England:

Wales

England

1. Excludes breach, deferred sentence and court review reports (for further details please see the guide to offender management statistics, available at: Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK).

2. Between April and June 2020, the number of cases processed at the criminal courts was substantially reduced as a result of the operational restrictions that were put in place on 23 March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the impact of these operational restrictions continued into subsequent periods, the figures in more recent periods have recovered to pre-pandemic levels.

3. The figures for England include a handful of pre-sentence reports prepared by the National Security Division (NSD), which was introduced in 2021 under the Probation Reform Programme and is specifically tasked with the enhanced monitoring of terrorists, serious organised criminals and very high-risk offenders.

Data quality: The figures in these tables 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.

Data source: National Delius case management system

Information on the numbers of PSRs for England and Wales is published as part of the Ministry of Justice’s official statistics available at: Offender management statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of ethical standards in business practice at (a) Capita, (b) Serco, (c) G4S and (d) Clearsprings when undertaking outsourced UK Government contracts.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Parliamentary Secretary (Cabinet Office)

We expect the highest standards of business ethics from all suppliers. The Government will bring forward a new National Procurement Policy Statement under the Procurement Act that will deliver a mission-led procurement regime. It will drive value for money, economic growth and social value.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what percentage of people subject to supervision by the Probation Service have (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) five or more named supervising officers during the course of their order or licence.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The information requested is not available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people released on home detention curfew were recalled to prison in (a) Wales and (b) England in each of the last 20 years.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We have provided the requested information in the Tables 1 and 2 below.

Data on total HDC recalls from 2015 onwards can be found in Table 1. A further breakdown of HDC recalls prior to 2015 could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.

Table 1: Recalls from Home Detention Curfew to prisons in England and prisons in Wales, 2015 to 2023

Data sources and quality
The figures in 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.

Methodological note
Recall data presented here are calculated on the basis of those who were recalled (and subsequently returned to custody) in this period, how many were on HDC. This is different to the method used in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly which looks at the number released to HDC who were later recalled. Numbers will therefore not be comparable.

Source: Prison NOMIS

Table 2: HDC releases from prisons in England and prisons in Wales, 2004 to 2023

Data sources and quality
The figures in 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.

Source: Prison NOMIS

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were released on home detention curfew in (a) Wales and (b) England in each of the last 20 years.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We have provided the requested information in the Tables 1 and 2 below.

Data on total HDC recalls from 2015 onwards can be found in Table 1. A further breakdown of HDC recalls prior to 2015 could only be supplied at disproportionate cost.

Table 1: Recalls from Home Detention Curfew to prisons in England and prisons in Wales, 2015 to 2023

Data sources and quality
The figures in 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.

Methodological note
Recall data presented here are calculated on the basis of those who were recalled (and subsequently returned to custody) in this period, how many were on HDC. This is different to the method used in Offender Management Statistics Quarterly which looks at the number released to HDC who were later recalled. Numbers will therefore not be comparable.

Source: Prison NOMIS

Table 2: HDC releases from prisons in England and prisons in Wales, 2004 to 2023

Data sources and quality
The figures in 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.

Source: Prison NOMIS

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) community sentences, (b) deferred sentences, (c) conditional discharges and (d) custodial sentences have been given in (i) Wales and (ii) England in each of the last 20 years.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

The Ministry of Justice publishes data on sentences given at criminal courts in England and Wales between January 2010 and June 2024 in the Outcomes by Offences data tool, that can be downloaded from the Criminal Justice Statistics landing page here: Criminal Justice Statistics.

The attached table provides the requested breakdown of sentences for England (Tab 1) and Wales (Tab 2) for the requested time period 2004 to 2009.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what training is available through the medium of Welsh for probation officers in Wales.

Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Currently, whilst we do not offer national training for Probation Officers in Welsh we can provide learning materials and effective practice briefings in Welsh upon request.

We are dedicated to fostering a workplace environment that encourages and embraces the use of the Welsh language in daily work practices. This commitment includes a staff Welsh language forum, and we will soon be launching a Welsh Language Skills Policy focused on supporting our staff.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many low-income households have (a) applied and (b) received vouchers for measures under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme from qualifying rural postcodes.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) offers grants to help property owners transition away from fossil fuels to low carbon heating. However, other schemes such as the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, Warm Homes: Local Grant and Energy Company Obligation are more targeted towards low-income households.

The Government and Ofgem do not collect income statistics as part of directly administering the BUS, however, socio-economic factors are studied as part of the scheme evaluation, with an interim report due to be published next year.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if he will take steps to help tackle rural fuel poverty under the Warm Homes Plan.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Warm Homes Plan will help people find ways to save money on energy bills and transform our ageing building stock into comfortable, low-carbon homes that are fit for the future. The transition to warmer, decarbonised homes, will include support for the most vulnerable to help tackle fuel poverty. We will set out further details on the Warm Homes Plan in due course.

We are currently supporting rural homes and homes off the gas grid through targeted energy efficiency schemes including the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) and Home Upgrade Grant, which are aimed at low income and vulnerable consumers.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans his Department has to bring forward a consultation on a Renewable Heating Fuel Obligation as required by section 159 of the Energy Act 2023.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

As sustainable biomass is a limited resource, the Government expects to prioritise its use in sectors like aviation which have fewest options to decarbonise. Renewable liquid heating fuels (RLHF) are also much more expensive to use than other heating solutions.

Before taking decisions on whether to support the use of RLHFs, like hydrotreated vegetable oil, in heating, the Government would require stronger evidence on their affordability for consumers, and the availability of sustainable feedstocks.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of including hybrid heat pumps as an available measure under the Boiler Upgrade Scheme.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The aim of the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is to support the transition away from fossil fuel heating to a low carbon alternative. Hybrid heat pumps are not eligible as the department wants to direct the funding available to technologies that offer the greatest carbon savings, rather than those which would continue to involve the burning of fossil fuels for heating. The Government will keep its position on alternative heating technologies under review and make further assessments as supporting evidence develops.

Sue Flood and Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition

Right to protest outside the BBC

Sexual harassment in the workplace

Reform of electoral law

Import and sale of real fur

Scientific hearing on animal experiments

England men's cricket team's upcoming fixture against Afghanistan

Pesticides in public spaces

Detainment of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya

Reunification of the Parthenon Sculptures

Financial redress for 1950s-born women

The EU and the arms trade, human rights, and the Israel-Gaza conflict

Prison maintenance insourcing

Uber and private hire drivers

Sale of the Observer newspaper

Suspension of Israel from international sports competitions

Release of Emily Damari

Palestine Statehood (Recognition) (No. 2) Bill

Socio-economic Duty

Wales National Women's Football Team

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will take steps to expedite compensation for nuclear test veterans.

Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my noble Friend, the Minister for the Armed Forces (Luke Pollard), on 27 November 2024 to Question 15649 to the hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd (Liz Saville Roberts).

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