Asked by: Shaun Davies (Labour - Telford)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many sitting days Telford Magistrates Court rooms were not used (a) at all and (b) in part in each of the last three years.
Answered by Heidi Alexander - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
HMCTS records the availability of courtroom in ‘sessions’. A ‘session’ represents the time that court/hearing room space is available, with up to two sessions available each day. Available and unavailable sessions are recorded for all jurisdictions.
Telford Magistrates Court had the following number of sessions recorded as available and then confirmed as used during the enquired period:
Period | Total Sessions | Confirmed Sessions |
Jan-Dec 2021 | 1,518 | 878 |
Jan-Dec 2022 | 1,500 | 754 |
Jan-Dec 2023 | 1,080 | 717 |
Jan- Mar 2024 | 252 | 198 |
Data relating to total sessions is extracted from HMCTS Courtroom Planner database, data relating to Confirmed Sessions is extracted from the Rota database. The data relating to session availability and confirmed sessions are from different source systems and are therefore not directly comparable. Please note all data provided is internal and subject to data quality issues inherent in any large-scale manual system.
HMCTS records a session being unavailable for a number of reasons, including important alternative uses. For example:
box work
case-related unavailability
community engagement
where the room is connected to chambers which are in use
court closures due to severe weather or security incidents, holidays (not public holiday) or formerly due to COVID
external meetings (e.g., Court User Group)
use for external organisations (e.g., Coroner)
maintenance work
mediation (parties present)
overspill (in support of a hearing taking place elsewhere)
staff meetings and/or training
video link being used for other matter
The amount of time we use our available estate for hearings is also connected to the funded number of sitting days in any one year, and the availability of key participants such as judiciary and legal professionals.
It should be noted that Courtroom 6 in Telford Magistrates has been out of operation since March 2023 owing to the need to replace the roof. This has progressed through the required government approvals process and building work is due to be instructed shortly on the roof replacement.
Replacement of the roof will enable the room to be brought back into operation.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to build new prisons in England and Wales.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We are committed to delivering the remaining new prisons as well as the expansion and refurbishment of the existing estate, including through temporary accommodation, as quickly as possible, and to ensure the planning processes for new prisons are not subject to lengthy delays.
We have also committed to a 10-year capacity strategy which will outline the steps the Government is taking on the future of the prison estate.
Asked by: Claire Young (Liberal Democrat - Thornbury and Yate)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what (a) protections and (b) support mechanisms are in place for whistleblowers in prisons.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Ministry of Justice has a comprehensive whistleblowing policy which all staff can access via the intranet. The policy sets out the protections and support available to a whistleblower. Protections include protection under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 (PIDA) and the assurance that the Department will take disciplinary action if a whistleblower is subject to detrimental treatment as a result of having raised a concern.
Sources of support include Nominated Officers, who can advise on how to raise a concern, and specialist teams including Counter Corruption, the HM Prison and Probation Service Tackling Unacceptable Behaviours Unit, and the Department’s employee assistance provider.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the report by HM Inspectorate of Prisons report into HMP Bedford, published in February 2024, what steps she is taking to improve conditions in HMP Bedford.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
HM Prison & Probation Service is committed to delivering sustained improvement in living conditions and performance across the prison estate, to promote a safe and secure environment that facilitates genuine rehabilitation. Since the publication of HM Inspectorate of Prison's latest report on the prison, HMP Bedford has prioritised the improvement of living conditions, by introducing a programme of cleaning, maintenance, pest control and decency checks.
The new Governor, appointed in February, is continuing to monitor performance at the prison to ensure sustained improvement.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate her Department has made of the number of veterans in prison.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As per the statistics in the “Ex-service Personnel in the prison population: 2023” publication included at the following link, an estimated 3.6% of the prison population were ex-service personnel as of 30 June 2023: Offender Management Statistics quarterly: April to June 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Asked by: James Cartlidge (Conservative - South Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she plans to end the use of A to D ratings for the prisons system.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
There are currently no plans to end the use of A to D ratings for the prisons system.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many recalls to prison there were of people on licence in England and Wales in each of the last ten years for which figures are available; and what plans she has to reduce the number of recalls to prison.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The number of recalls to custody recorded in the ten years from 2013 to 2023 is provided in the table below.
Recall Year | Number of Recalls |
2014 | 17,649 |
2015 | 21,467 |
2016 | 21,559 |
2017 | 21,915 |
2018 | 24,268 |
2019 | 26,503 |
2020 | 24,437 |
2021 | 22,105 |
2022 | 23,571 |
2023 | 27,820 |
The table above shows the number of recalls not the number of offenders – an offender may be recalled more than once.
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. As such, figures are subject to change as information is updated.
Data source: Public Protection Unit Database (PPUD)
The Government’s absolute focus is on public protection. Offenders on licence can be swiftly recalled to prison if they breach their licence conditions in such a way as to indicate that their risk has increased and they are about to commit further offences. The recall of an offender to custody is an important public protection measure but our priority is to reduce reoffending and the risks presented by offenders, so that they do not need to be recalled in order to protect the public.
Additionally, HMPPS has issued guidance to the probation practitioners, to ensure all safe alternatives to recall are considered before a decision is taken to recall an offender. HMPPS has also re-invigorated the Secretary of State’s power to release recalled offenders following a risk assessed recall review without reference to the Parole Board.
With public protection as our top priority, we continue to work across government to ensure that we take the necessary steps to reduce the recall population and keep the system functioning safely.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average caseload of probation officers in England and Wales was in each of the last ten years for which figures are available.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The average caseload of Probation Officers has been calculated using data from the Workload Measurement Tool (WMT) and has been presented for the period July 2021 to June 2024. Data has been restricted to this period because the Probation Service unified in June 2021, with some Probation Officers and their caseload held by Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) prior to this point. The Probation Service does not have access to data for caseload held by CRCs and so it would not be consistent to present a time series prior to June 2021.
Table One: Probation Officer average annual caseload across England and Wales
Period | Annual average caseload per Probation Officer |
July 21 – June 22 | 36.0 |
July 22 – June 23 | 37.1 |
July 23 – June 24 | 35.2 |
Notes
The data within the WMT are manually entered by Senior Probation Officers (SPOs) for those in their line management chain. These data are subject to inaccuracy as a result of the manual nature with which data are entered.
Annual average caseload per Probation Officer has been calculated by taking the average caseload on the last day of each month in that period (an average across the 12 months).
We are aware of data quality concerns regarding some of the data with some instances of cases being allocated to those who are not delivering caseload. There may be cases where staff who have left the Probation Service still appear to hold caseload on the WMT. Some staff on long-term absences (e.g. career breaks / long-term sickness) may still have a caseload allocated to them. There are also instances where those with no contracted hours are allocated cases without having an allocated capacity. Average caseload does not take into account the level of risk or complexity of cases, and this will have a large effect on the workload of Probation Officers.
Data have not been presented for the period prior to June 2021, the point at which unification of the Probation Service took place. Prior to June 2021, some Probation Officers and caseload were held by CRCs, data for which is not included in the WMT. It would not be consistent to present a time series of caseload per Probation Officer before and after unification.
Asked by: Mike Martin (Liberal Democrat - Tunbridge Wells)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people will be released early from prison due to overcapacity in Kent in September 2024; and how many units of accommodation are available for those people.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
As the allocation process is still in progress, the total number of individuals in Kent to be released from custody at 40% of their standard determinate sentence is not yet known. It is also therefore not possible to ascertain how many units of accommodation would be needed.
Certain offences have been excluded from the SDS change. This includes sex offences irrespective of sentence length; serious violent offences with a sentence of four years or more; specified offences linked to domestic abuse irrespective of sentence length (including stalking, coercive or controlling behaviour and non-fatal strangulation); as well as offences concerning national security. The change will also not apply to sentences subject to release at the discretion of the Parole Board, or to offences which currently attract automatic release from a standard determinate sentence at the two-thirds point (certain serious sexual and violent offences).
Once released, offenders will be subject to the same set of strict license conditions that would have applied had they been released at a 50% automatic release point. They will be liable to recall to prison if they do not comply with these conditions, or are judged to be a risk to public safety.
Any who are at risk of being homeless upon release can be referred to H M Prison & Probation Service’s Community Accommodation Service, which can provide up to 12 weeks’ temporary accommodation, and we are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to mitigate any impact on local authorities, as well as taking practical steps to minimise the chances that individuals are released homeless.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate she has made of the number of people jailed for violent disorder offences this summer who will be released after serving 40% of their sentence.
Answered by Nicholas Dakin - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The change to the automatic release point for eligible Standard Determinate Sentences (SDS40) is an ongoing change the Government was forced to introduce. We cannot predict who will enter custody or the sentences they will receive from the independent judiciary. Sentencing is complex and so factors including concurrent/consecutive sentences, sentence lengths, and particular offences will determine how long each offender spends in custody.
Certain offences have also been excluded from the SDS change. This includes sex offences irrespective of sentence length; serious violent offences with a sentence of four years or more; specified offences linked to domestic abuse irrespective of sentence length (including stalking, coercive or controlling behaviour and non-fatal strangulation); as well as offences concerning national security. The change will also not apply to sentences subject to release at the discretion of the Parole Board or to offences which currently attract automatic release from an SDS at the two-thirds point (certain serious sexual and violent offences).
Estimating the number of people jailed for violent disorder offences this summer who will be released after serving 40% of their sentence would therefore not be possible due to the complexities of sentencing which is ongoing.