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Written Question
Ministry of Justice: Written Questions
Wednesday 27th March 2024

Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to respond to Questions 3012, 3013, 3020, 3022, 3028, 3030, 3032, 3033, 3034, 3035, 3036, 3037, 3038, 3040, 3041 and 3043, which were tabled on 21 November 2023.

Answered by Gareth Bacon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and the Department remains committed to providing the highest level of service.

I sincerely apologise for the delay in responding to these PQs. The information requested in these PQs is detailed and complex, and we have been working hard to identify what information we can provide to accurately answer the questions raised. We hope to be able to provide an answer shortly


Written Question
Prisons: Smuggling
Tuesday 19th March 2024

Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to help prevent drones being used to bring drugs and other illicit goods into prisons.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

We are working hard to deter, detect and disrupt the illegal use of drones to deliver contraband into prisons. We conduct vulnerability assessments across the estate to understand the risk and develop and implement plans to manage and mitigate the threat, including physical countermeasures.

The Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021 established powers for prisons to authorise the use of counter-drone technology. This Act also enables the police to stop and search those suspected of committing drone-related crimes.

In January this year, we strengthened the legislative framework by introducing Restricted Fly Zones around prisons to disrupt illegal drone use. This strengthens our ability to intercept illicit items being smuggled via drones, and enables the police to fine or prosecute those seeking to undermine prison security.

Recent joint operations with the police and HMPPS have resulted in a number of drone related arrests and disruptions to the activity of serious and organised crime networks. Since June 2016 we have secured over 70 convictions, and those convicted have been sentenced to more than a total of 240 years in prison.


Written Question
Ministry of Justice: Equality
Thursday 7th March 2024

Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 4 March 2024 to Question 15471 on Ministry of Justice: Equality, how many staff in his Department, excluding its public bodies, have job titles that include the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT and (f) race.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirms that seven job titles including the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT and (f) race exist in the department (excluding public bodies). As of end of September 2023, the published headcount number for MoJ HQ is 7,263, though these staff provide strategic advice to the nearly 100,000 people employed by the MoJ and its public bodies.


Written Question
Ministry of Justice: Equality
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff in (a) HM Prison and Probation Service, (b) HM Courts and Tribunals Service, (c) the Crown Prosecution Service and (d) the Legal Aid Agency have job titles which include the words (i) equality, (ii) diversity, (iii) inclusion, (iv) gender, (v) LGBT and (vi) race.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

It would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold to ascertain the facts across the Ministry of Justice and its 35 public bodies.


Written Question
Ministry of Justice: Equality
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many staff in their Department have job titles that include the words (a) equality, (b) diversity, (c) inclusion, (d) gender, (e) LGBT and (f) race.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

It would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold to ascertain the facts across the Ministry of Justice and its 35 public bodies.


Written Question
Police National Computer
Monday 4th March 2024

Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information on offenders his Department is able to access from the police national computer; and if he will list the fields of information that are available.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The Ministry of Justice has access to an extract of the police national computer (PNC). This extract primarily focuses on fields of information relating to individuals cautioned and/or convicted, their court cases, offences and disposals. The extract is classified as secret and making public a detailed list of fields would leave the Ministry of Justice exposed to security risk. Requests relating to the extract are assessed on a case-by-case basis.


Written Question
Prisoners: Foreign Nationals
Monday 19th February 2024

Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2024 to Question 5054 on Prison Sentences: Foreign Nationals, what the evidential basis is for the calculation of the number of previous convictions of non-UK nationals in prison incurring a disproportionate cost.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

A cost calculation was completed which reflects that there are over 350 nationality codes within the Ministry of Justice extract of the Police National Computer, and an individual can have multiple nationalities. Establishing which individuals are known not to be UK nationals from this data and identifying their criminal histories would have required bespoke investigation, coding and linkage to wider data.


Written Question
Ministry of Justice: Equality
Thursday 25th January 2024

Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many equalities impact assessments his Department completed in each of the last five years for which data is available.

Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

Under the Public Sector Equality Duty, all public authorities, including Government departments, are required by law to ensure that they have due regard to certain equality considerations when carrying out their functions. While equality impact assessments may be produced, there is no legal requirement for duty assessments to be recorded in a specific format.

In accordance with section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) ensures that assessment of the equalities impacts of its policy proposals is integrated in the development, implementation and review of its policies. We do not keep central records of all our equality assessments undertaken over the last several years but publish our policy consultation equality assessments regularly on the MoJ consultation hub which is publicly available on GOV.UK: Ministry of Justice - Citizen Space.


Written Question
Prison Sentences: Foreign Nationals
Monday 8th January 2024

Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign nationals were sentenced to an immediate custodial sentence in the most recent year for which data is available; and how many and what proportion of these foreign nationals had previously been convicted of an offence.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.


Written Question
Convictions: Foreign Nationals
Monday 8th January 2024

Asked by: Neil O'Brien (Conservative - Harborough)

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many foreign nationals were convicted of an offence in the most recent year for which data is available.

Answered by Edward Argar - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.