Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will place in the libraries of both Houses the methodology for calculating payments to Equitable Life policyholders.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The methodology for calculating payments to Equitable Life policyholders was published in 2011 and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equitable-life-payment-scheme-design .
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many times corrections of payments to Equitable Life policyholders have been made; and what guarantees are in place to ensure that no further errors in the payments and calculation method will be made.
Answered by John Glen - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
The payment calculation has been examined by a panel of actuarial peers and the Equitable Members Action Group. No errors in the calculation methodology have been identified.
Whilst the Payment Scheme was in operation policyholders could check the input data received from Equitable Life that was used as the basis for their individual calculation. Where an error was found in the records Equitable Life held, a policyholder could request an independent review of their individual payment and where necessary a payment could be recalculated.
The Payment Scheme is now closed. The Payment Scheme’s final progress report set out the numbers of independent reviews conducted and this can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equitable-life-payment-scheme-final-report
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the new Abellio train franchise for the East Midlands will deliver improvements in (a) seat capacity, (b) fares and (c) connectivity north from Kettering.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The bid from Abellio included an increase in the frequency of services throughout the new Abellio East Midlands franchise, including an additional train per hour from Corby to London. There will be more trains operating throughout the week and services will start earlier in the morning and end later in the evening. The new franchise will deliver over 18,000 standard class seats in the peak for passengers at St Pancras, over 5,000 peak standard class seats at Lincoln – more than doubling capacity – and over 3,200 more peak standard class seats into and out of Nottingham.
There will be modern smart ticketing options for leisure and business journeys and for season tickets for commuters. Flexible ticket options will provide better value fares for regular passengers who travel less than five days a week and there will be enhanced Delay Repay compensation for passengers whose journeys are delayed by more than 15 minutes, compared to 30 minutes today. From December 2020, there will be more trains calling at Kettering going north compared to today and those train will have more seats
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Attorney General:
To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 11 April 2019 to Question 910352 on Terrorism: Prosecutions, if he will (a) review the type of data that the CPS collates and (b) introduce a new category under terrorism-related offences for returning terrorist fighters.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The CPS has considered the types of data it collates and has determined that it would not be appropriate to create a new dataset which overlaps with the information already collected and published by the Home Office. CPS collects data for operational purposes; the Home Office however report the National Statistics which are the official figures reported to Parliament.
Recent figures published by the Home Office report that last year, 84 people were tried following charges brought by the CPS for terrorism-related offences, resulting in 76 convictions. The remaining 8 were found not guilty.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Attorney General:
How many returning jihadist fighters have been prosecuted (a) successfully and (b) unsuccessfully in the last five years.
Answered by Robert Buckland
The CPS does not collate or publish data on categories of offender such as foreign terrorist fighters. However, latest figures from the Home Office for all types of terrorism cases (which includes Foreign Terrorist Fighters) show that last year 84 people were tried following charges brought by the CPS for terrorism-related offences, resulting in 76 convictions. The remaining 8 were found not guilty.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign national offenders have been repatriated under the early removal scheme by country since 2010.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
The Home Office publishes quarterly statistics on the number of Foreign Na-tional Offenders (FNO) that have been removed from the UK under the Early Removal Scheme. This information can be found by accessing the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-enforcement-data-november-2018
The Home Office does not routinely disclose country specific information re-garding the deportation of FNOs as its disclosure could prejudice relations between the UK and foreign governments.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, for each EU Member State, how many prisoners have been transferred (a) to and (b) from the UK under the EU Prisoner Transfer Directive.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Any foreign national who comes to our country and abuses our hospitality by breaking the law should be in no doubt of our determination to punish and deport them. More than 45,000 foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK since 2010, and in the last financial year almost 6,000 were removed from prisons, immigration removal centres, and the community.
The Early Removal Scheme is the principal method for removing foreign national offenders early from prison. In 2017/18, over 2,000 foreign national offenders were removed under this scheme. Prisoners may also be transferred to a prison in their own country under Prisoner Transfer Agreements. The principal compulsory prisoner transfer scheme is the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision (2008/909/JHA). In addition, compulsory transfer may take place under the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, and a small number of bilateral prisoner transfer agreements.
Our departure from the European Union will have implications on prisoner transfers to the EU. If we leave the EU without a ‘deal’, we will lose access to the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision. This will mean falling back on the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and its Additional Protocol, which we believe to be a less effective mechanism than the EU agreement. Therefore, under a ‘no deal’ scenario we should be prepared to see a decline in the number of transfers to and from the EU.
The tables below provide information for England and Wales, taken from Management Information. In relation to British national prisoners transferred into England and Wales, Management Information does not distinguish between prisoners transferred under the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision and the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Transfer may therefore have taken place on either a voluntary or compulsory basis. Please note that transfers have not taken place to several countries listed in the tables below as the UK either does not hold nationals from those countries in our prisons, or because there are concerns that prisons might be in breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The transfer of prisoners into and out of Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.
Table 1: Transfer under the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision (EU PTFD) | ||||
Country | Date country ratified the EU PTFD | Number of foreign national prisoners transferred from England and Wales | Number of British national prisoners transferred into England and Wales | |
1 | Austria | 01/01/2012 | -- | 1 |
2 | Belgium | 18/06/2012 | 17 | 3 |
3 | Bulgaria | Not ratified | -- | -- |
4 | Croatia | 01/07/2013 | -- | 1 |
5 | Cyprus | 23/05/2014 | 1 | 5 |
6 | Czech Republic | 01/01/2014 | 12 | 3 |
7 | Denmark | 05/12/2011 | 1 | 6 |
8 | Estonia | 01/01/2015 | 1 | -- |
9 | Finland | 05/12/2011 | -- | 1 |
10 | France | 05/08/2013 | -- | -- |
11 | Germany | 25/07/2015 | 2 | 9 |
12 | Greece | 15/11/2014 | -- | 2 |
13 | Hungary | 01/01/2013 | -- | 1 |
14 | Italy | 05/12/2011 | 9 | 9 |
15 | Ireland (Republic) | Not ratified | -- | -- |
16 | Latvia | 01/07/2012 | 15 | -- |
17 | Lithuania | 01/04/2015 | 28 | -- |
18 | Luxembourg | 05/12/2011 | -- | 2 |
19 | Malta | 03/02/2012 | 1 | 1 |
20 | Netherlands | 01/11/2012 | 141 | 6 |
21 | Poland | 01/01/2012 | 35 | -- |
22 | Portugal | 17/12/2015 | 9 | 7 |
23 | Romania | 26/12/2013 | 56 | -- |
24 | Slovakia | 01/02/2012 | 17 | 2 |
25 | Slovenia | 20/09/2013 | -- | -- |
26 | Spain | 11/12/2014 | 9 | 40 |
27 | Sweden | 01/04/2015 | 3 | 1 |
Total | 357 | 100 | ||
Table 2: Transfer Under the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons This table does not include EU Member States which have ratified the Additional Protocol as transfers take place under the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision. Please note: the date of entry into force has been taken as the date the UK ratified the Additional Protocol or the date of ratification by the named country, whichever is the later date. | ||||
Country | Date the Additional Protocol entered into force | Number of foreign national prisoners transferred from England and Wales | Number of British national prisoners transferred into England and Wales | |
1 | Bulgaria | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
2 | Georgia | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
3 | Iceland | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
4 | Lichtenstein | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
5 | FRY Macedonia | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
6 | Moldova | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
7 | Montenegro | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
8 | Norway | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
9 | Russia | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
10 | Serbia | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
11 | San Marino | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
12 | Switzerland | 01/10/2014 | -- | -- |
13 | Turkey | 01/09/2016 | -- | -- |
14 | Ukraine | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
Table 3: Bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreements | ||||
Country | Date the Bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreement came into force | Number of foreign national prisoners transferred from England and Wales | Number of British national prisoners transferred into England and Wales | |
1 | Albania | 11/06/2013 | 24 | 2 |
2 | Ghana | 06/07/2017 | -- | -- |
3 | Libya | 29/04/2009 | -- | -- |
4 | Nigeria | 29/09/2014 | 1 | -- |
5 | Rwanda | 23/11/2010 | -- | -- |
6 | Somaliland | Not Available | -- | -- |
Total | 25 | 2 | ||
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on what date the compulsory prisoner transfer agreements with each non-UK country came into force; how many prisoners were transferred (a) from and (b) to the UK (i) under each of those agreements and (ii) in the last arrival period under each of those agreements.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Any foreign national who comes to our country and abuses our hospitality by breaking the law should be in no doubt of our determination to punish and deport them. More than 45,000 foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK since 2010, and in the last financial year almost 6,000 were removed from prisons, immigration removal centres, and the community.
The Early Removal Scheme is the principal method for removing foreign national offenders early from prison. In 2017/18, over 2,000 foreign national offenders were removed under this scheme. Prisoners may also be transferred to a prison in their own country under Prisoner Transfer Agreements. The principal compulsory prisoner transfer scheme is the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision (2008/909/JHA). In addition, compulsory transfer may take place under the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, and a small number of bilateral prisoner transfer agreements.
Our departure from the European Union will have implications on prisoner transfers to the EU. If we leave the EU without a ‘deal’, we will lose access to the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision. This will mean falling back on the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons and its Additional Protocol, which we believe to be a less effective mechanism than the EU agreement. Therefore, under a ‘no deal’ scenario we should be prepared to see a decline in the number of transfers to and from the EU.
The tables below provide information for England and Wales, taken from Management Information. In relation to British national prisoners transferred into England and Wales, Management Information does not distinguish between prisoners transferred under the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision and the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. Transfer may therefore have taken place on either a voluntary or compulsory basis. Please note that transfers have not taken place to several countries listed in the tables below as the UK either does not hold nationals from those countries in our prisons, or because there are concerns that prisons might be in breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The transfer of prisoners into and out of Scotland and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter.
Table 1: Transfer under the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision (EU PTFD) | ||||
Country | Date country ratified the EU PTFD | Number of foreign national prisoners transferred from England and Wales | Number of British national prisoners transferred into England and Wales | |
1 | Austria | 01/01/2012 | -- | 1 |
2 | Belgium | 18/06/2012 | 17 | 3 |
3 | Bulgaria | Not ratified | -- | -- |
4 | Croatia | 01/07/2013 | -- | 1 |
5 | Cyprus | 23/05/2014 | 1 | 5 |
6 | Czech Republic | 01/01/2014 | 12 | 3 |
7 | Denmark | 05/12/2011 | 1 | 6 |
8 | Estonia | 01/01/2015 | 1 | -- |
9 | Finland | 05/12/2011 | -- | 1 |
10 | France | 05/08/2013 | -- | -- |
11 | Germany | 25/07/2015 | 2 | 9 |
12 | Greece | 15/11/2014 | -- | 2 |
13 | Hungary | 01/01/2013 | -- | 1 |
14 | Italy | 05/12/2011 | 9 | 9 |
15 | Ireland (Republic) | Not ratified | -- | -- |
16 | Latvia | 01/07/2012 | 15 | -- |
17 | Lithuania | 01/04/2015 | 28 | -- |
18 | Luxembourg | 05/12/2011 | -- | 2 |
19 | Malta | 03/02/2012 | 1 | 1 |
20 | Netherlands | 01/11/2012 | 141 | 6 |
21 | Poland | 01/01/2012 | 35 | -- |
22 | Portugal | 17/12/2015 | 9 | 7 |
23 | Romania | 26/12/2013 | 56 | -- |
24 | Slovakia | 01/02/2012 | 17 | 2 |
25 | Slovenia | 20/09/2013 | -- | -- |
26 | Spain | 11/12/2014 | 9 | 40 |
27 | Sweden | 01/04/2015 | 3 | 1 |
Total | 357 | 100 | ||
Table 2: Transfer Under the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons This table does not include EU Member States which have ratified the Additional Protocol as transfers take place under the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision. Please note: the date of entry into force has been taken as the date the UK ratified the Additional Protocol or the date of ratification by the named country, whichever is the later date. | ||||
Country | Date the Additional Protocol entered into force | Number of foreign national prisoners transferred from England and Wales | Number of British national prisoners transferred into England and Wales | |
1 | Bulgaria | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
2 | Georgia | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
3 | Iceland | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
4 | Lichtenstein | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
5 | FRY Macedonia | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
6 | Moldova | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
7 | Montenegro | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
8 | Norway | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
9 | Russia | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
10 | Serbia | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
11 | San Marino | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
12 | Switzerland | 01/10/2014 | -- | -- |
13 | Turkey | 01/09/2016 | -- | -- |
14 | Ukraine | 01/11/2009 | -- | -- |
Table 3: Bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreements | ||||
Country | Date the Bilateral Prisoner Transfer Agreement came into force | Number of foreign national prisoners transferred from England and Wales | Number of British national prisoners transferred into England and Wales | |
1 | Albania | 11/06/2013 | 24 | 2 |
2 | Ghana | 06/07/2017 | -- | -- |
3 | Libya | 29/04/2009 | -- | -- |
4 | Nigeria | 29/09/2014 | 1 | -- |
5 | Rwanda | 23/11/2010 | -- | -- |
6 | Somaliland | Not Available | -- | -- |
Total | 25 | 2 | ||
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of jobs created in (a) Kettering, (b) Northamptonshire and (c) England since 2010.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Office for National Statistics use the Labour Force Survey and Annual Population Survey to provide estimates of employment nationally and at a sub-national level.
For July-September 2018, there were 27.45 million people employed in England. The employment rate was 75.8%, an increase of 5.2 percentage points since the 2010 election.
However, trends in employment in Kettering and Northamptonshire are not possible to ascertain robustly, due to small numbers of the people with these characteristics in these survey samples.
Figures for the East Midlands region are available. For July-September 2018, there were 2.27 million people employed in the East Midlands region. The employment rate was 75.0%, an increase of 4.1 percentage points since 2010.
Asked by: Philip Hollobone (Conservative - Kettering)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of imprisoned foreign national offenders have been transferred from the UK to a prison in the country of which they are a national under the EU prisoner Transfer Framework Decision since December 2011.
Answered by Rory Stewart
Any foreign national who comes to our country and abuses our hospitality by breaking the law should be in no doubt of our determination to punish and deport them. More than 44,000 foreign national offenders have been removed from the UK since 2010, and in the last financial year almost 6,000 were removed from prisons, immigration removal centres, and the community.
The Early Removal Scheme is the principal method for removing foreign national offenders early from prison. In 2017/18, over 2000 foreign national offenders were removed under this scheme. In addition, prisoners may be transferred to a prison in their own country. The principal compulsory prisoner transfer scheme is the EU Prisoner Transfer Framework Decision (Council Framework Decision 2008/909/JHA). The table below gives the proportion of EU nationals held in prisons and the HMPPS run IRC. The table includes those EU nationals held on remand, those serving short sentences, and those held under immigration powers who are not eligible for transfer.
| Number of prisoners transferred under the EU PTFD | EU FNO population (inc. IRCs) as at 30 June each year | Percentage transferred (Transfers divided by Population) |
2011 | 0 | 3,688 | - |
2012 | 0 | 3,818 | - |
2013 | 16 | 3,999 | 0.4% |
2014 | 19 | 4,252 | 0.4% |
2015 | 38 | 4,126 | 0.9% |
2016 | 81 | 4,205 | 1.9% |
2017 | 95 | 4,024 | 2.4% |
2018 | 85 (to 31 Oct) | 3,905 | 2.2% |
The EU PTFD came into force in December 2011. At that time only four Member States, in addition to the UK, had implemented the Framework Decision. Other Member States implemented the Framework Decision at various dates from 2012 onwards. Two Member States have yet to implement the agreement. The number of prisoners transferred has risen steadily since 2013 as Member States put in place new legislation and procedures necessary to implement the Framework Decision. Prior to a Member State’s implementation of the Framework Decision transfers took place under the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. These transfers are not included in the table.
The number of foreign national offenders held in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for their respective governments.