Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to safeguard (a) barristers, (b) solicitors, (c) court staff and (d) visitors against covid-19 infection and spread.
Answered by Chris Philp - Minister of State (Home Office)
HM Courts and Tribunals Service has well entrenched safeguards to ensure safety of all people in its buildings. This includes members of the legal profession, HMCTS staff (including agency staff and contractors) and all court users.
The range of safety measures and controls in place have been developed in line with and are validated against, relevant public health standards to ensure court and tribunal buildings are Covid secure. The measures have all been reviewed in light of continually developing circumstances. This has enabled HMCTS to deliver its vital public services, including jury trials, throughout the period affected by pandemic-related restrictions.
The approach here is set out transparently in the HMCTS Organisational Risk Assessment. Data suggests that the level of Covid infections amongst Court staff has been in line with the national averages. Among the measures embedded across the court and tribunal estate are significantly enhanced cleaning regimes, the provision of washing facilities and sanitiser throughout buildings for users as well as staff and judiciary, social distancing measures implemented, and a requirement for face coverings throughout our buildings. Site-specific assessments are reviewed at least weekly, and are required to be undertaken in collaboration with staff and trade union colleagues. Court and Tribunal users can request copies of these assessments and engage local managers on the detail where appropriate.
HMCTS has published, and regularly updates, a full suite of information on its Covid-secure practices. Weekly updates are now sent direct to a range of key stakeholders, social media tools are routinely used to try to reach ever-wider audiences, and in all court and tribunal venues, clear signage is displayed to promote and explain our safety measures. Our senior team also participate in webinars and other tailored events for staff members, and engages regularly with professional representatives, contractor and system partners to address issues and concerns.
We have invested considerable effort to assure ourselves as to compliance on the ground, through management systems and independent audits. We also have responsive complaints and escalation procedures in case they are necessary. We ask all users of the courts and tribunals – including but not limited to jurors – to take personal responsibility, for adhering to the simple and well-understood hands/face/space protocols prevalent across society generally.
Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reduce the rate of covid-19 infection in prisons.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The safety of our staff and those under our supervision remains our top priority. We have taken quick and decisive action – backed by Public Health England and Wales – to limit the spread of the virus.
Our measures have included restricting regimes, minimising inter-prison transfers and compartmentalising our prisons into different units to isolate the sick, shield the vulnerable and quarantine new arrivals. A comprehensive regular testing regime of both staff and prisoners is also in place and is key in helping to prevent the spread of the virus. We are also working closely with the NHS to support the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccinations for eligible groups in custody. Our experience and evidence gathering provides an indication that these measures have had a positive impact on limiting deaths and the transmission of the virus in prisons.
Due to the current risk level posed by Covid-19, all adult prisons are currently operating a Stage Four regime, as outlined in our National Framework (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-national-framework-for-prison-regimes-and-services). This involves restrictions to reduce contact between people and therefore reduce the chance of transmission. We are keeping the level of restriction necessary under close review. We must continue to respond in a measured way in line with public health advice to ensure our approach is proportionate and legitimate, as we have done throughout.
This is now a familiar way of working for the operational line and wider stakeholders, and it also appropriately balances our different risks, including the physical and mental health of staff and prisoners; violence and major disorder; and the loss of staff confidence.
Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department has made on implementing the recommendations from its report of June 2020, Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases.
Answered by Alex Chalk - Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice
The report identified a number of long-standing, systemic issues that require fundamental reform. The Family Justice Reform Implementation Group (FJRIG) is overseeing delivery of the reform agenda.
We are making good progress against several of the commitments outlined in our Implementation Plan published alongside the report. We have launched the review into the ‘presumption of parental involvement’ in private law children cases, and we are developing the ‘Independent Domestic Abuse Courts’ (IDAC) pilot. We are also implementing changes within the Domestic Abuse Bill, including the prohibition of cross examination of victims by perpetrators or alleged perpetrators and automatic eligibility for special measures in the Family Court.
A more detailed delivery updated will be published in the new year.
Asked by: Taiwo Owatemi (Labour - Coventry North West)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has held discussions with the Attorney General on the reasons for the decline in the rate of convictions for rape since 2010.
Answered by Kit Malthouse
The Secretary of State for Justice and the Attorney General meet regularly to discuss critical issues which cut across the criminal justice system, including how the system responds to rape, and most recently met in early February.
More needs to be done to support rape victims and bring perpetrators of these appalling crimes to justice. That’s why we’re recruiting 20,000 more police offices, investing £85 million in more prosecutors and building 10,000 extra prison places to ensure that dangerous offenders are locked up. We’re also investing more in victim support, with an extra £5 million announced last autumn to recruit more Independent Sexual Violence Advisors and fund rape support centres.
But we want to do more, which is why the Criminal Justice Board is working with experts across the system and in the third sector to understand what processes can be improved to ensure more cases reach court.