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Written Question
Independent Custody Visiting Association
Thursday 10th July 2025

Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of undertaking a review into the operations of the Independent Custody Visiting Association (a) in Hampshire and (b) nationally.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.

Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.


Written Question
Independent Custody Visiting Association
Thursday 10th July 2025

Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions her Department has had with the Independent Custody Visiting Association on the effectiveness of the Independent Custody Visiting Scheme in Hampshire.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.

Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.


Written Question
Independent Custody Visiting Association
Thursday 10th July 2025

Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to increase its oversight of the Independent Custody Visiting Association.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.

Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.


Written Question
Independent Custody Visiting Association
Thursday 10th July 2025

Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to appoint an independent ombudsman to provide oversight of the Independent Custody Visiting Association.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.

Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.


Written Question
Independent Custody Visiting Association
Thursday 10th July 2025

Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ensure (a) guidance and (b) standards are followed on the operation of the Independent Custody Visiting Association.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.

Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.


Written Question
Independent Custody Visiting Association
Thursday 10th July 2025

Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department has taken to ensure (a) structured training programmes and (b) required materials are provided to new volunteers in the Independent Custody Visiting Association.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.

Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.


Written Question
Independent Custody Visiting Association
Thursday 10th July 2025

Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to make amendments to existing legislation on the operation of the Independent Custody Visiting Association.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.

Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.


Written Question
Independent Custody Visiting Association
Thursday 10th July 2025

Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to take steps to ensure guidance is followed on the operations of the Independent Custody Visiting Association.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.

Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.


Written Question
Independent Custody Visiting Association
Thursday 10th July 2025

Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals on the operations of the Independent Custody Visiting Association.

Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Independent Custody Visiting Association is a membership organisation which supports local Independent Custody Visiting schemes in England and Wales. ICVA has no direct role in facilitating visits to custody suites. It is independent of Government but receives grant funding from the Home Office, which is managed in accordance with Home Office grant policies.

Responsibility for organisation, oversight and delivery of independent custody visiting lies with individual Police and Crime Commissioners (PCC) and PCC equivalents, under section 51 of the Police Reform Act 2002. The Home Office Code of Practice for Independent Custody visiting makes clear that PCCs are responsible for the initial and ongoing training of custody visitors. They must also assess how well their independent custody visiting (ICV) arrangements are working with regard to nationally set standards.


Written Question
BBC: Glastonbury Festival
Monday 7th July 2025

Asked by: Suella Braverman (Conservative - Fareham and Waterlooville)

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to bring forward new legislation on television broadcasting following the BBC coverage of the Glastonbury music festival.

Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)

The Secretary of State was clear in her statement to Parliament that the scenes from the Bob Vylan performance at Glastonbury were utterly appalling and unacceptable. This Government will not tolerate antisemitism – it has absolutely no place in our society and we will be unrelenting in our work to root it out and it should not be given a platform.

The BBC is editorially independent, and decisions on what content to broadcast, and how they broadcast that content, are a matter for the BBC. However, it is right that the BBC has acknowledged that the livestream of the performance should have come off air and that they are reviewing their guidance. There remain very serious questions at the highest levels of the BBC about operational oversight and the way in which editorial standards are implemented.

As set out to Parliament, the Secretary of State has spoken to both the BBC Director General and Chair directly and has written to the Chair to ask for an urgent and detailed explanation about what immediate steps they intend to take. We expect answers to these questions without delay and expect lessons to be learned and rapid action to be taken.

Ofcom is also in the process of obtaining further information from the BBC as a matter of urgency, including what procedures were in place to ensure compliance with its own editorial guidelines.

Charter Review will consider editorial standards for the BBC. The Government will also build on the Media Act and Ofcom’s Public Service Media review by taking action to support public service media and the wider television ecosystem. As set out in the Creative Industries Sector Plan, the Government will update the policy and regulatory framework to respond to the changing market and promote a more level playing field, while maintaining universal access to distinctive and trusted public service content. This work will complement the BBC Charter Review.