:00:00. > :00:00.day in both houses of parliament at 11pm tonight. First, questions to
:00:00. > :00:10.the Justice Secretary Liz Truss and ministerial team.
:00:11. > :00:14.Order, order. Questions to the Secretary of State for Justice,
:00:15. > :00:22.Nusrat Ghani. Thank you, Mr Speaker.
:00:23. > :00:26.With your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to group questions one
:00:27. > :00:30.and three. Last month, we launched the present safety and reform White
:00:31. > :00:33.Paper and were already implementing measures to track drugs, drones and
:00:34. > :00:41.phones. This major overhaul of the prison system will improve the
:00:42. > :00:44.recruitment of an extra 2500 front line officers. The reforms will and
:00:45. > :00:48.power governors to make the changes they need.
:00:49. > :00:56.Deadlock in the governor's decision to invest ?545 million to recruit
:00:57. > :00:59.2500 extra guards and hope this will ensure that these serious incident
:01:00. > :01:04.which led to violent one month ago would benefit for that. Now the
:01:05. > :01:09.report on psychoactive substances and their increased availability
:01:10. > :01:12.within prisons. Given the aggressive and violent behaviour they cause,
:01:13. > :01:16.what is the secretary of State doing to clamp down on drugs of all types
:01:17. > :01:19.in prisons? My honourable friend is absolutely
:01:20. > :01:23.right about psychoactive substances. They have been a Sirius issue in our
:01:24. > :01:28.prison system. That is why we have now developed tests and roll them
:01:29. > :01:34.out across the prison estate to detect new substances and trained up
:01:35. > :01:38.300 sniffer dogs to detect them. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The suicide
:01:39. > :01:42.rate at Redditch are an acceptably high. Can my honourable friend tell
:01:43. > :01:46.the house what the Government is doing to ensure safety of prisoners
:01:47. > :01:50.and reducing suicide rates in our prisons?
:01:51. > :01:53.First of all, let me after my honourable friend back to the house.
:01:54. > :02:01.It is great to see her back on our bench is looking so fit and well.
:02:02. > :02:07.Radiant indeed. Finally, I agree with a comment from the opposition.
:02:08. > :02:10.My honourable friend is absolutely right to highlight the issue of self
:02:11. > :02:16.harm and suicide in our prisons. It is too high. That is why we are
:02:17. > :02:20.taking steps to increase the number of prison officers to mean we have a
:02:21. > :02:22.dedicated officer for every six prisoners, responsible for welfare
:02:23. > :02:27.but also helping turn their lives around so they do not go back to
:02:28. > :02:31.reoffending. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The suicide
:02:32. > :02:35.rate in our prisons is the highest it has ever been in 25 years. His
:02:36. > :02:41.absolutely shameful. We have Health Secretary at the health select
:02:42. > :02:45.committee the other week admitting he has never visited a prison or
:02:46. > :02:49.mental health service. Can the Secretary of State state if she has
:02:50. > :02:51.visited a prison mental health service and if not why not and when
:02:52. > :02:55.will she? Let me say she is right that mental
:02:56. > :02:59.health is a real issue in our prisons. I recently had a meeting
:03:00. > :03:03.with the Health Secretary on this, about how we can improve the mental
:03:04. > :03:09.health services. What we do is enable governors to co-commission
:03:10. > :03:13.those health services. I was recently at Lincoln, discussing the
:03:14. > :03:16.health services with a governor. They are available on the Monday to
:03:17. > :03:21.Friday just now but he wants them to be available all week around and
:03:22. > :03:27.enable that. Vista Speaker, in part due to
:03:28. > :03:30.increasing the tax on prison officers, over 200,000 days were
:03:31. > :03:35.lost through ill-health by prison officers in the last 12 months.
:03:36. > :03:39.Goody secretary of State update the House as to what the figure last to
:03:40. > :03:45.six days is as of now and what steps she will take to reduce that figure?
:03:46. > :03:49.I thank the honourable gentleman for his question. There is an issue with
:03:50. > :03:53.sick days. The prisons minister holds a daily meeting where he goes
:03:54. > :03:57.through the levels of sickness, at each prison, works with the
:03:58. > :03:59.governors on what we can do. One of the things we're doing a
:04:00. > :04:06.strengthening the front line to make sure we have more officers support.
:04:07. > :04:08.I'm glad the Secretary of State recognises the importance of the
:04:09. > :04:13.number of officers and congratulate her on the extra money is available.
:04:14. > :04:18.Will she agree that in potentially violent situations one of the most
:04:19. > :04:20.important factors I the availability of experienced officers who have the
:04:21. > :04:25.knowledge and personal relationships with inmates to calm them down? KT
:04:26. > :04:29.Kim is more detail as to what is being done to deal with the current
:04:30. > :04:34.high levels of wastage by experienced officers?
:04:35. > :04:39.I agree with my honourable friend, the evidence backs up that having
:04:40. > :04:42.experienced officers is vital. We have a higher proportion of
:04:43. > :04:49.experienced officers now in 2016 that we did in 2010. More than 80%
:04:50. > :04:53.of our prison officers have five or more years experience. I'm
:04:54. > :04:56.determined to keep those officers in the service. Two weeks ago we
:04:57. > :05:02.launched a fast-track programme to help people already in the service
:05:03. > :05:05.progress in their careers. We are offering as well retention payments,
:05:06. > :05:12.particularly in hard to recruit areas, but we need to keep those
:05:13. > :05:20.imported staff on board. Mr Speaker, in every one of the Her
:05:21. > :05:24.Majesty 's Inspectorate reports about the sorties published at
:05:25. > :05:30.Secretary State appointment, that is Bedford, Chelmsford, Hendley, only,
:05:31. > :05:37.rightly, Winchester and the youth facilities at Wetherby, have come
:05:38. > :05:42.for the test of risen safety deemed either poor or not sufficiently
:05:43. > :05:48.good. When can we expect a positive report on prison safety in closed
:05:49. > :05:52.prisons? The honourable lady is right that
:05:53. > :05:55.the current levels of violence in our prison order are not acceptable.
:05:56. > :05:59.That is why we launched the present safety reform White Paper with
:06:00. > :06:04.measures to deal with drugs, drones and phones, as well as bolster the
:06:05. > :06:07.front line staff. We are also looking to work with governments to
:06:08. > :06:11.help them deal with issues which might trigger incidents in their
:06:12. > :06:15.prison while we build up that front line capability. I announced in
:06:16. > :06:18.October we were recruiting an extra 400 staff in ten of the most
:06:19. > :06:23.challenging prisons and we have already given job officers to 280 of
:06:24. > :06:28.those start so we are making progress.
:06:29. > :06:35.The minister said in this white paper that it would try to have
:06:36. > :06:39.no-fly zones to present items being dropped into prison. Can she explain
:06:40. > :06:45.how that will work in practice and what is currently being done to
:06:46. > :06:49.reduce the demand for banned items in prison?
:06:50. > :06:53.My colleague, the prisons minister, is working with the drone
:06:54. > :06:56.manufacturers. He leads a cross Government task force to get
:06:57. > :07:03.technology in place to be able to do that. We are doing solutions such as
:07:04. > :07:08.installing netting. I was at HMP Pentonville last week and they now
:07:09. > :07:14.have control dogs who bark, which helps to detour drones. There were
:07:15. > :07:15.using many solutions of all kinds to deal with contraband coming into
:07:16. > :07:23.prisons. Listen to yourself. With permission,
:07:24. > :07:26.Mr Speaker, I wish to group this question with number 15. A key
:07:27. > :07:30.aspect of our prison reform programme will be to address
:07:31. > :07:33.fundamental health and improve outcomes for prisoners. We introduce
:07:34. > :07:37.co-commissioning, which will make sure governments are focused on and
:07:38. > :07:42.accountable for these outcomes alongside health commissioners.
:07:43. > :07:46.Kelly Secretary of State discusses with Health Secretary and it is high
:07:47. > :07:49.priority. -- I know that this happened.
:07:50. > :07:55.Last year I spent over a month in a small room, unable to leave. I lost
:07:56. > :08:01.track of where I was. I became cheerful over the site of issues. I
:08:02. > :08:04.felt I could not breathe at all. I was incarcerated in Britain but in
:08:05. > :08:09.fact in hospital following a physical illness. But I reflected
:08:10. > :08:15.subsequently how easy it is to develop a mental health issue when
:08:16. > :08:19.confined in a small space. And lacking orientation. With this in
:08:20. > :08:22.mind, what assessment has the department made of people developing
:08:23. > :08:26.mental health problems rather than going into prisons with mental
:08:27. > :08:30.health problems, and what can be done to reduce this?
:08:31. > :08:35.I thank my honourable friend for his question and I'm glad to see he is
:08:36. > :08:39.looking so well following such a significant illness. Prisoners are
:08:40. > :08:43.entitled to the same levels of care is in the community, but there are
:08:44. > :08:49.specific measures regarding their care. All prisoners have a health
:08:50. > :08:52.assessment on arrival and all prison officers are trained to recognise
:08:53. > :08:57.mental health issues and all prison have on-site primary health care
:08:58. > :09:00.teams to provide mental health care. There can be deferments to
:09:01. > :09:03.counselling or psychiatric assessment for serious mental
:09:04. > :09:07.illness. Mr Speaker, a recent report by the
:09:08. > :09:12.ombudsman found 70% of those who committed suicide had a mental
:09:13. > :09:17.health issue. What will it take specifically to address the specific
:09:18. > :09:21.issue? Every death in custody is a tragedy
:09:22. > :09:27.and we are committed to reducing the number of self-inflicted deaths. We
:09:28. > :09:30.reviewed the case assessment caring custody and teamwork progress for
:09:31. > :09:36.prisoners assessed as being at risk and we are piloting revised custody
:09:37. > :09:39.training and response. All officers in prison is new and experienced
:09:40. > :09:47.retrieve training to help offenders with mental health issues.
:09:48. > :09:50.Mr Speaker, statistics show 50% of those who are in prison suffer from
:09:51. > :09:55.personality disorders. Does the Minister agree with me that it is
:09:56. > :09:59.important to assess these issues when these people enter the criminal
:10:00. > :10:07.justice system? Even at the stage of the custody, rather than after
:10:08. > :10:09.incarceration. I thank the right honourable
:10:10. > :10:14.gentlemen for his question. The initial assessment is of course
:10:15. > :10:18.important. Who does the assessment is important. We are working on this
:10:19. > :10:22.currently. Furthermore, it is the care following that and the ongoing
:10:23. > :10:27.care and observation of prisoners, all of this is being looked at
:10:28. > :10:31.closely. Mr Speaker, my honourable friend the
:10:32. > :10:38.member for Liverpool asked the secretary of state a question, when
:10:39. > :10:44.she last visited a prison mental health service? Suicide in prisons
:10:45. > :10:49.is at year high. It is utterly disgusting that the Health Secretary
:10:50. > :10:52.nor the Secretary of State for Justice has visited prisons to see
:10:53. > :11:07.what's going on. What's happening? Each of these suicides is a tragedy.
:11:08. > :11:11.The Government is aware of this and the Secretary of State for Health
:11:12. > :11:16.will be visiting present. As regards for myself, I was in a prison last
:11:17. > :11:20.week discussing mental health provision in Peterborough. I also
:11:21. > :11:24.visited the mother and baby unit at the same time. I am under no
:11:25. > :11:28.illusions of the challenges of addressing this problem. It is a
:11:29. > :11:32.problem we are fully aware of and my intention is to come forward with
:11:33. > :11:37.more statements on this because it is such a key problem for mental
:11:38. > :11:43.health of prisoners. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Me I tell the Minister how
:11:44. > :11:48.important it is to improve the mental health care in our prisons.
:11:49. > :11:52.Little will be achieved if there is not continuity of care when
:11:53. > :11:58.prisoners leave prison and what can you tell the House is his department
:11:59. > :12:03.doing to ensure with the health service continuity of care is
:12:04. > :12:09.provided for prisoners from day one when they leave prison will stop I
:12:10. > :12:14.thank my right honourable friend from his question and it is a wise
:12:15. > :12:18.one. Yes, the continuity of care both before, during and after for
:12:19. > :12:23.prisoners, not just the mental health but also the physical health,
:12:24. > :12:27.is key. We have ongoing discussions with the Department of Health on
:12:28. > :12:31.this area and my intention is to make the continuity of records and
:12:32. > :12:40.clear as a consequence much better in the future. Would the Secretary
:12:41. > :12:44.of State accept that many of those prisoners with mental health issues
:12:45. > :12:48.would be better served outside of the prison regime and if so, what
:12:49. > :12:56.are the options and alternatives are being looked at? Of course the
:12:57. > :13:00.honourable gentleman is right, however prison can be an opportunity
:13:01. > :13:04.to address mental health problems that have not been previously
:13:05. > :13:07.diagnosed and properly treated. There is an opportunity in being
:13:08. > :13:17.imprisoned for somebody to receive proper care, which is ultimately
:13:18. > :13:23.what it is about. Number four. As outlined in the prison reform white
:13:24. > :13:28.paper, we will introduce a prison apprenticeship partner with which
:13:29. > :13:33.will offer ways to complete the formal apprenticeship on release.
:13:34. > :13:38.The scheme has been development which will be published in the New
:13:39. > :13:45.Year. I thank the Minister for his reply. Is he able to update me on
:13:46. > :13:49.any progress in treating apprenticeships in HMP Lewes? It is
:13:50. > :13:53.exactly the kind of local prison that will benefit from the new
:13:54. > :13:57.prison apprenticeship pathway but I also anticipate that the present
:13:58. > :14:01.will benefit from the new present service apprenticeship scheme that
:14:02. > :14:07.we are launching next year that will help improve members for the present
:14:08. > :14:10.service to widen entry points into the service. The apprenticeships
:14:11. > :14:15.require literacy. Can he tell the House what proportion of prisoners
:14:16. > :14:17.were illiterate at the start of their sentence and what proportion
:14:18. > :14:25.was functionally illiterate upon release? The honourable gentleman
:14:26. > :14:31.asks a very important question. Roughly 50% are illiterate, as far
:14:32. > :14:36.as English and maths are concerned. What our reform and safety white
:14:37. > :14:42.paper proposes is that we will be testing their literacy on entry and
:14:43. > :14:49.exit so we can measure the distance travelled and progress that has made
:14:50. > :14:53.imprisoned. Which prison has the best record for training prisoners
:14:54. > :14:56.for gainful employment once they leave and how might that best
:14:57. > :15:02.practice be rolled out across the prison estate? The honourable member
:15:03. > :15:07.asks a very important question, which is what we are seeing across
:15:08. > :15:12.the prison service is patches of good work in terms of employment
:15:13. > :15:17.post-release. What we want to do is create a system where we can measure
:15:18. > :15:21.this and actually identify and run prisons by how well be doing on
:15:22. > :15:25.this. That is precisely what our prison and safety reform white paper
:15:26. > :15:32.does. It is one of the outcome measures. Work experience outside of
:15:33. > :15:36.pressure and can also enhance prisoner employment opportunities on
:15:37. > :15:40.release. Can the Minister say what guidance he is giving prisons in
:15:41. > :15:43.relation to release on temporary license, not just the reform
:15:44. > :15:49.prisons, but governors of all prisons. Release on temporary
:15:50. > :15:54.licence, which the member refers to, has a huge role to play in helping
:15:55. > :15:58.prisoners gain employment in the wider world. I have been speaking
:15:59. > :16:01.with Timpson, for example, which employ a lot of extra fenders and
:16:02. > :16:06.that is how the trial them before the come out on release. We are
:16:07. > :16:09.looking at that to make sure that the guidance that governors have,
:16:10. > :16:13.they can do more as far as release on temporary licence is a victory
:16:14. > :16:19.for employment is concerned. Question five, please. We are only
:16:20. > :16:24.going to turn around offenders lives if governors have the leave the need
:16:25. > :16:27.over education, work and health in prison. That is why our reform is
:16:28. > :16:32.devolved power over budgets and services to Government. The
:16:33. > :16:43.adjournment is a contributed business. -- recruitment is a
:16:44. > :16:46.contributed business. What... Be it about mental health service
:16:47. > :16:53.provision or the recruitment of dogs that bark at drones. I thank my
:16:54. > :16:57.honourable friend of her question and it sounds like she is asking for
:16:58. > :17:03.some of these patrol dogs at her local prison. I am also delighted to
:17:04. > :17:09.see that Billington will be one of the 30 prisons that will be
:17:10. > :17:12.recruiting locally to build up the local cauldron of staff and that
:17:13. > :17:16.will be starting in January next year. We are going to be setting up
:17:17. > :17:21.a what works network to help prisoner governance with the
:17:22. > :17:30.expertise they need to make those decisions. The front bench opposite
:17:31. > :17:34.seemed to be sleepwalking this morning. I know it is nearly
:17:35. > :17:40.Christmas but can they wake up to the dangers of empowering governors
:17:41. > :17:43.to much. When my former select committee looked at prison
:17:44. > :17:48.education, that time ago, one of the real dangers was a very good system
:17:49. > :17:52.of education and training any prison was sadly wiped out by new governor
:17:53. > :17:55.who said, I do not want anything to do with that. We need common
:17:56. > :18:01.standards across all prisons. Is that not right? I thank the
:18:02. > :18:05.honourable gentleman for his question. What we are doing is being
:18:06. > :18:10.very specific about what we are asking governors to achieve in terms
:18:11. > :18:14.of raising education standards, getting prisoners into
:18:15. > :18:18.apprenticeships and into work, improving health standards. We are
:18:19. > :18:21.specifying the war. We are giving governors more freedom over the how
:18:22. > :18:26.they get those things done because the Ivy people with the expertise.
:18:27. > :18:30.The officers on the land and are the ones who talked to the prisoners and
:18:31. > :18:36.inhibit freedom to turn peoples lives around question number six. --
:18:37. > :18:42.need that freedom. The Government issued a consultation paper
:18:43. > :18:45.yesterday. The consultation focuses on the driving offences that result
:18:46. > :18:50.in death or serious injury and proposes that courts should be able
:18:51. > :18:58.to impose a life sentence or a longer in the most serious of cases.
:18:59. > :19:00.I welcome the consultation. Does the Minister agree it presents the
:19:01. > :19:06.perfect opportunity to close the loophole which exists whereby in the
:19:07. > :19:10.event a pedestrian is hit by a driver under the influence of
:19:11. > :19:15.alcohol or drugs, as happened to my constituent who was tragically
:19:16. > :19:18.killed, the maximum sentence available is just six months,
:19:19. > :19:26.leaving no incentive for driver to stay around. In my constituent's is,
:19:27. > :19:34.the judge only had the feeling to stop available to him. The case he
:19:35. > :19:39.refers to is a horrific case and may I extend my sympathies to his
:19:40. > :19:45.constituent's family. Nothing can compensate for the loss of a loved
:19:46. > :19:49.one from a driver, a killer driver, who drives irresponsibly. I would
:19:50. > :19:55.encourage the family to contribute to the consultation so we can take
:19:56. > :19:58.the points on board. Campaigners of families are delighted that the
:19:59. > :20:03.Government has announced this review. I went to pay tribute to all
:20:04. > :20:08.of them and honourable members from all sides to contributing to the
:20:09. > :20:13.manifesto. I welcome it correction of travel. Can I ask that part of
:20:14. > :20:17.the considerations are looking at getting rid of the careless driving.
:20:18. > :20:21.At the moment we have the most dangerous sorts of reckless criminal
:20:22. > :20:26.driving. That is wrong. It is called careless. The honourable gentleman
:20:27. > :20:28.makes an important point and can I congratulate him for his
:20:29. > :20:33.long-standing campaign on this issue. We did look very carefully at
:20:34. > :20:37.the distinction between careless and dangerous driving, which he warned
:20:38. > :20:41.as to get rid of. The view became too was that there does need to be a
:20:42. > :20:45.set of culpability reflected in the way that court makes the decision.
:20:46. > :20:50.For example, someone who is moment highly distracted because they have
:20:51. > :20:52.children crying in the back of a car and, God forbid, something bad
:20:53. > :20:56.happens is very different from somebody involved in speed racing.
:20:57. > :21:03.That is why we have chosen to keep that. Two of my constituents set up
:21:04. > :21:08.the awards in memory of their daughter who was killed by a driver
:21:09. > :21:11.who mounted a pavement but was found guilty by death by dangerous
:21:12. > :21:16.driving, receiving only a fine. They have campaigned for 20 years for
:21:17. > :21:22.tougher sentences. Can the Minister say how that might be achieved as a
:21:23. > :21:28.consequence of this consultation. What we are proposing is a new life
:21:29. > :21:32.sentence as a maximum penalty for those convicted of dangerous
:21:33. > :21:36.driving. We are giving the courts the tools we need to make the
:21:37. > :21:39.punishment fit the crime and I think that is a testament to the
:21:40. > :21:44.campaigned his constituents have been running for years. I welcome
:21:45. > :21:48.the consultation on this matter that seeks clarity from the secretary on
:21:49. > :21:52.the issue of the distinction between careless and dangerous driving. The
:21:53. > :21:57.consultation makes it clear that the Government does not propose any
:21:58. > :22:06.changes but instead is six and address misconceptions about the
:22:07. > :22:12.law. How exactly does he attend to increase constituency in applying
:22:13. > :22:17.this law? The consultation does have an "String. Any specific concerns
:22:18. > :22:29.that are not reflected in the consultation and she can submit her
:22:30. > :22:32.concerns. Question number seven. With permission, Mr Speaker, I wish
:22:33. > :22:36.to group this question with number ten. As part of our reforms we are
:22:37. > :22:43.going to secretary standards on the outcomes we receive two expect
:22:44. > :22:51.governors to achieve an rehabilitation. I thank the
:22:52. > :22:55.Minister. Given that 42% of adult prisoners were permanently excluded
:22:56. > :22:58.from school, with the Minister agree with me that it is only through
:22:59. > :23:01.education that the cycle of reoffending can be stopped and will
:23:02. > :23:06.he tell the House what more can be done to ensure this message properly
:23:07. > :23:11.resonates across the prison estate. My honourable member makes a very
:23:12. > :23:15.important point. Education is one of the key ways in which we can help
:23:16. > :23:20.break the cycle of reoffending where the offender obviously is willing.
:23:21. > :23:24.One of the things we have done to speed this process is that the
:23:25. > :23:27.education budget has now been transferred to the Department for
:23:28. > :23:30.Education to the minute stay of justice and that will be delegated
:23:31. > :23:40.to Government to Government two governors so that they can organise
:23:41. > :23:46.education -- I am pleased that steps being taken. Can I also suggest that
:23:47. > :23:49.very close to release prisoners are given potential career advice and
:23:50. > :23:56.experience mock interviews to aid their search for work upon release?
:23:57. > :23:59.Again, a very important point. If somebody has spent a lot of time
:24:00. > :24:05.inside it is highly likely they will be an use to the world of work and
:24:06. > :24:09.interviews. One of the things we are doing is we have work coaches who
:24:10. > :24:14.work with prison governors and part of the regime and part of their job
:24:15. > :24:21.is to help prepare prisoners as well as rehabilitation companies for
:24:22. > :24:24.release. A constituent of mine has a criminal record but has been a
:24:25. > :24:29.law-abiding citizen for over 40 years. Should there not come a time
:24:30. > :24:32.and she can move on and no longer has to explain to employers the
:24:33. > :24:39.mistakes she made when she was much younger? The honourable member
:24:40. > :24:46.raises a point around conviction and time spent and there is the band
:24:47. > :24:52.campaign and we are supporters. Encouraging to look beyond this.
:24:53. > :24:56.When it comes to employing ex-offenders and I will speak to her
:24:57. > :25:04.directly about this case affecting her constituent. Mr Speaker, in
:25:05. > :25:07.Hampshire community helps ex-offenders to find training
:25:08. > :25:28.opportunities. Will be Minister continued to support this work? Yes.
:25:29. > :25:32.Thank you. Number eight. We take the safety of prisoners and our jails
:25:33. > :25:38.extremely seriously. It is of importance that they are kept safe
:25:39. > :25:42.and given the opportunity to reform. Thank you. Apologies. The Justice
:25:43. > :25:48.committee last week the prisoner Minister said in reply to a question
:25:49. > :25:50.regarding the recent escape from Pentonville, the frequency of self
:25:51. > :25:54.searches were being determined locally by the governor. Did you see
:25:55. > :26:00.whether he remains satisfied that the coalition decision to end these
:26:01. > :26:04.cell searches was the right one or does he think this might have
:26:05. > :26:05.prevented this escape and limit the use of mobile phones, drugs and
:26:06. > :26:14.weapons? Cell searches are carried on the
:26:15. > :26:19.basis of intelligence that establishment level. In addition we
:26:20. > :26:24.are investing ?3 million on a regional and national intelligence
:26:25. > :26:27.network so we can identify where phones, for example, are being
:26:28. > :26:35.smuggled into aid criminal activities in our prisons and deal
:26:36. > :26:39.with those situations appropriately. Our prison chaplains do with all of
:26:40. > :26:42.these issues daily and are almost universally well thought of, so
:26:43. > :26:48.could the Minister Tommy has what steps he is making to fully recruit
:26:49. > :26:54.these chaplains and make sure they have the time to do the important
:26:55. > :26:56.work? -- could be Minister tell me this?
:26:57. > :27:02.An excellent suggestion one it will look at detail.
:27:03. > :27:08.Is the Secretary of State for Justice aware of the situation at
:27:09. > :27:16.HMP where three prisoners have tragically taken their own lives?
:27:17. > :27:19.This is in Antrim. Could use all of our team in the executive and
:27:20. > :27:24.judgment Minister to make sure this is dealt with?
:27:25. > :27:28.As my honourable friend in Bracknell said, every death in prison is
:27:29. > :27:31.tragic and these people are in the care of the state and we must make
:27:32. > :27:35.sure we take good care of them in a particular respect. I am willing to
:27:36. > :27:40.look at that situation outlined in more detail.
:27:41. > :27:44.As I have mentioned only number of occasions, there is no real
:27:45. > :27:47.incentive for prisoners to behave themselves in prison, because the
:27:48. > :27:51.law that the last Labour Government introduced that prisoners must be
:27:52. > :27:53.released halfway through their sentence irrespective of how badly
:27:54. > :27:58.they behaved or whether they are still a danger to the public. I am
:27:59. > :28:01.waiting for the Government to give an explanation as to why this law
:28:02. > :28:07.should still be on the statute board, because it is yet to provide
:28:08. > :28:10.a satisfactory response. Perhaps the Minister can give a reason why
:28:11. > :28:15.prisoners should be received in! Released halfway through their
:28:16. > :28:18.sentence regardless of how badly they behaved, by law?
:28:19. > :28:23.The honourable member raised this issue at the select committee last
:28:24. > :28:27.week. I will give them the same answer I gave then, that when
:28:28. > :28:30.prisoners are released even at a halfway point, they remain on
:28:31. > :28:35.licence. If there is a breach of the lessons, they are we called into
:28:36. > :28:42.prison. That remains the case. Number nine.
:28:43. > :28:47.A core part of our prison safety and reform plan is a recruitment of an
:28:48. > :28:50.additional 2500 prison officers. Ten of our most challenging prisons
:28:51. > :28:55.already have a recruitment programme we have started and we have made 280
:28:56. > :29:00.job offers. We have nearly 7000 fewer prison
:29:01. > :29:02.officers in our prisons than in the year 2010. The Government have
:29:03. > :29:07.announced an increase in the bridging budget of ?100 million to
:29:08. > :29:14.recruit, we recruit an extra 2500 officers. Is it any wonder that the
:29:15. > :29:18.services in mess? In our prison safety and reform
:29:19. > :29:22.White Paper, we make it clear it is important that we have a skilled
:29:23. > :29:28.force of officers. That is why we are investing ?100 million. That
:29:29. > :29:33.will enable us to make sure that one officer is responsible for six
:29:34. > :29:36.prisoners. We show through our work that this is what is effective in
:29:37. > :29:41.terms of keeping a prison safe and being able to turn those offenders'
:29:42. > :29:46.lives around. I have three prisons in my
:29:47. > :29:52.constituency which combine at one of the largest concentration of
:29:53. > :29:58.prisoners in the country. The prison officers in Sheppey are hard-working
:29:59. > :30:00.and highly responsible but Sheppey's prisons are seriously understaffed.
:30:01. > :30:03.Because of our location in the south-east of England, it is
:30:04. > :30:06.difficult to recruit officers because of the number of other jobs
:30:07. > :30:11.available to them. What reassurance can my right honourable friend give
:30:12. > :30:14.prison officers that steps will be taken to solve that problem of
:30:15. > :30:19.recruitment on Sheppey? And I agree with my honourable
:30:20. > :30:22.friend what a fantastic job prison officers do. I visit prisons up and
:30:23. > :30:26.down the country meeting officers and seeing the great work they do
:30:27. > :30:32.and their dedication to the job and why they have gone into it. There
:30:33. > :30:36.are issues in about one quarter of our prisons in terms of staff
:30:37. > :30:38.recruitment, because there is hard high demand for employees in the
:30:39. > :30:44.south-east of England particularly, that is why we enable governors to
:30:45. > :30:47.operate market supplements of up to ?4000 to recruit, and retention
:30:48. > :30:53.payments of up to ?3000 to keep officers on board.
:30:54. > :30:57.It is not just a cut of 7000 prison officers which my honourable friend
:30:58. > :31:01.talked about. There are also another 7000 being cut from non-officer
:31:02. > :31:07.grade. A total cut of 40,000 staff. 2000 is a drop in the ocean. That is
:31:08. > :31:11.when people are getting hurt and killed in British prisons, that is
:31:12. > :31:16.why. When will she returned to the point which it was at in pre-2010,
:31:17. > :31:20.which is what we need ensure safety? The important point is that the
:31:21. > :31:25.starving we put into our prisons is evidence based. It enables us to
:31:26. > :31:33.operate with a ratio of one officer for every six prisoners. That is
:31:34. > :31:36.what works. Mr Speaker... In the Westminster
:31:37. > :31:42.Hall debate last week, the prisons minister confirmed that it is his
:31:43. > :31:45.intention for each prisoner to have a dedicated prison officer who will
:31:46. > :31:50.be responsible for six inmates each. He called it the new offender
:31:51. > :31:56.management model. And he called it the new staffing model. Can the
:31:57. > :31:59.Justice Secretary explained that this is based on current staffing
:32:00. > :32:06.levels or if it is an aspiration for the future? And what are the details
:32:07. > :32:12.of these new models? I thank the honourable lady for her
:32:13. > :32:16.question. This is what we will be operating when we get up to the full
:32:17. > :32:20.complement of having the additional 2500 officers. We have already
:32:21. > :32:24.started with ten of those most challenging prisons, of the 400 we
:32:25. > :32:28.are seeking to recruit we have offered jobs to 280. It will take
:32:29. > :32:32.time to build up the prison officer workforce. That's why we are
:32:33. > :32:36.launching a new apprenticeship scheme and why we are launching a
:32:37. > :32:42.new fast-track scheme for graduates. We launched a scheme to recruit
:32:43. > :32:45.former Armed Forces personnel into the service. This is not something
:32:46. > :32:50.we will achieve overnight but something it is important we build
:32:51. > :32:54.up this workforce for to be able to improve both safety and reform in
:32:55. > :32:58.prisons. I thank the Justice Secretary for
:32:59. > :33:04.that response. The prisons minister also told the Justice Committee last
:33:05. > :33:09.week that in order to recruit an extra 2500 prison officers, by 2018,
:33:10. > :33:13.the Ministry of Justice will have to recruit a total of 8000 officers due
:33:14. > :33:20.to the staff leaving rate. Michael Burke said the leaving rate after
:33:21. > :33:26.just a first-year as prison officers is 13.5%. How does the Justice
:33:27. > :33:31.Secretary planned to retain the new staff who are leaving? And the
:33:32. > :33:35.prison officers he plans to recruit, she plans to recruit in the future?
:33:36. > :33:42.And will she spend whatever it takes to get a grip on this crisis?
:33:43. > :33:46.As I said, we are investing ?100 million in recruiting those
:33:47. > :33:50.additional 2500 officers. We're launching a new apprenticeship
:33:51. > :33:53.scheme, a new graduate scheme, a scheme to recruit people from the
:33:54. > :33:57.armed services. We are improving career progression within the prison
:33:58. > :34:00.service to make sure that our experienced officers get the
:34:01. > :34:05.opportunities they deserve. In the 25% of prisons we struggle to
:34:06. > :34:08.recruit in, in London and the south-east, we are offering
:34:09. > :34:12.additional payments. We are doing everything we can to build up that
:34:13. > :34:16.strength, because that is what is important, to deliver safe and
:34:17. > :34:25.reformed prisons. Mr Speaker. As is well-known, we
:34:26. > :34:28.shall set out our proposals for a bill of rights in due course and we
:34:29. > :34:32.shall of course consult fully on those proposals.
:34:33. > :34:36.Nicholson. In light of the UN committee on the
:34:37. > :34:42.rights of Persons with disabilities find that cut the benefits meet the
:34:43. > :34:44.threshold for human rights violations, shouldn't the Secretary
:34:45. > :34:47.of State instead of replacing the Human Rights Act focus on ensuring
:34:48. > :34:53.the protection of rights the Government is already committed to?
:34:54. > :34:59.The UK Government in effect this country does not need lectures about
:35:00. > :35:04.its human rights record. We are a country that has a proud tradition
:35:05. > :35:06.that goes back a hundred years of pioneering human rights and
:35:07. > :35:14.spreading our values around the world. And so I don't think we need
:35:15. > :35:17.any lessons. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Would my
:35:18. > :35:22.honourable friend agree that not only is it a good idea to make this
:35:23. > :35:28.change but that we were members of the European Convention for a whole
:35:29. > :35:32.generation before we put human rights legislation into British law,
:35:33. > :35:36.and that the clear understanding needs to be that it is British ports
:35:37. > :35:45.informed by legislation from this parliament that make the decisions?
:35:46. > :35:50.-- British courts. Winston Churchill and his famous
:35:51. > :35:52.speech in Strasbourg pointed out the importance of fundamental human
:35:53. > :35:56.right after the Second World War. It was British lawyers who took an
:35:57. > :36:02.important part in bringing the European Convention on human rights.
:36:03. > :36:07.Having said that, it is right to consider what it should be in the
:36:08. > :36:09.modern context and if we need a British jurisprudence of these
:36:10. > :36:14.rights. So that is what we are looking at.
:36:15. > :36:17.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Five times in the last few years, the UK
:36:18. > :36:20.Government has been found guilty of a breach of Article three of the
:36:21. > :36:23.European Convention on human rights for its treatment of people with
:36:24. > :36:28.mental health problems in immigration detention. Many more
:36:29. > :36:30.cases have been set or are pending. But the minister confirmed the
:36:31. > :36:33.solution to this shameful state of affairs is not to water down this
:36:34. > :36:39.absolute right in order to avoid being found out?
:36:40. > :36:43.Hear, hear. Can I say of course we respect human
:36:44. > :36:46.rights and the rights which are within the convention. No country
:36:47. > :36:51.has a better record of abiding by those decisions than this country.
:36:52. > :36:57.But having said that, I think there is a need to look critically at the
:36:58. > :37:02.Human Rights Act, the way it operates, and certainly we are going
:37:03. > :37:07.to do that. Does the Minister agree with me that
:37:08. > :37:10.the example of countries like New Zealand, Canada and Australia prove
:37:11. > :37:13.that a country does not have to be a member of the European Convention on
:37:14. > :37:18.human rights to have an excellent human rights record?
:37:19. > :37:21.Hear, hear. The point my honourable friend is
:37:22. > :37:27.making is that these countries are countries which have a common law
:37:28. > :37:30.tradition which was founded in this country by our judges and our
:37:31. > :37:35.Parliament. The fact that it is expressed differently in Canada and
:37:36. > :37:38.other countries like that does not mean it does not have the same
:37:39. > :37:45.route. It is something we in this country should be proud of.
:37:46. > :37:48.Question 12, Mr Speaker. The independence of the judiciary is a
:37:49. > :37:53.cornerstone of the rule of law, vital to our constitutional
:37:54. > :37:59.freedoms. As Lord Chancellor, I frequently make this clear, both in
:38:00. > :38:02.private and public. After the press attacks on the
:38:03. > :38:07.judiciary, it of the Justice Secretary almost 48 hours to release
:38:08. > :38:10.a statement. The former Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, said of the
:38:11. > :38:16.statement, I think it was a little too late and quite a lot too little.
:38:17. > :38:22.Does she agree with Lord Judge, and will she take the opportunity to
:38:23. > :38:28.apologise? It is not a job of the Government or
:38:29. > :38:31.the Lord Chancellor to police headlines. The process is working
:38:32. > :38:36.absolutely as it should. People have a right to bring a case to court.
:38:37. > :38:41.The Government has the right to defended position in the court. The
:38:42. > :38:43.judiciary are independent and impartial and the press can
:38:44. > :38:49.scrutinise the process within the law.
:38:50. > :38:53.I agree with my right honourable friend. As we sit here today in this
:38:54. > :38:58.Parliament, just across Parliament Square, the Supreme Court is sitting
:38:59. > :39:02.with 11 Supreme Court justices. Does she not agree with me, does this
:39:03. > :39:10.whole has not agree with me that the integrity of the Supreme Court and
:39:11. > :39:15.the justices should not be impugned? Well, I completely agree with my
:39:16. > :39:17.honourable friend. As I said last month, the supreme court justices
:39:18. > :39:23.are people of great integrity and impartiality.
:39:24. > :39:25.Joanna Cherry. In response to the constitutional
:39:26. > :39:31.change that was brought about by devolution, the renowned
:39:32. > :39:33.international jurist, the late Professor Sir Neil McCormick
:39:34. > :39:38.stressed the importance of the principles that justify judicial
:39:39. > :39:42.independence. Also of the concept of the separation of powers. As the
:39:43. > :39:46.United Kingdom once more faces major constitutional change after the EU
:39:47. > :39:51.referendum, will she join me in reaffirming the importance of those
:39:52. > :39:55.principles? I absolutely will. The independence
:39:56. > :40:00.of judiciary is a vital part of our free society. As is our free press.
:40:01. > :40:05.Both of those things are important and what we have seen of the last
:40:06. > :40:07.weeks and months is that we have a robust independent judiciary and we
:40:08. > :40:12.have a robust free press. I look forward to discussing it with her
:40:13. > :40:15.soon. Cherry.
:40:16. > :40:19.Thank you for your answer. In recent years, it has become commonplace for
:40:20. > :40:23.some members on the opposite benches to deprecate the judges of the
:40:24. > :40:27.European Court of justice and Court of Human Rights in Europe. Simply
:40:28. > :40:33.for doing their job, that is. Does she agree with me that such scant
:40:34. > :40:37.respect for the rule of law has encouraged the climate in which a
:40:38. > :40:45.major tabloid, which I believe some people call a newspaper, think it is
:40:46. > :40:48.appropriate to describe justices of our own Supreme Court as enemies of
:40:49. > :40:54.the people? I have been clear that the
:40:55. > :40:57.independence of the judiciary is a vital part of our rule of law. As my
:40:58. > :41:02.honourable friend has just said, what is important I think you in the
:41:03. > :41:06.UK is that it is British courts making those decisions. That is
:41:07. > :41:12.precisely what we are going to achieve.
:41:13. > :41:21.Yesterday the president of the Supreme Court said at the beginning
:41:22. > :41:25.of the article 50 appeal, this appeal is concerned with legal
:41:26. > :41:30.issues and as judges our duty is to consider those issues impartially
:41:31. > :41:34.and to decide there was case according to law. That is what we
:41:35. > :41:40.shall do. Does the Lord Chancellor agree with me that had she done her
:41:41. > :41:43.duty and spoken out at the time to defend the judiciary, those words
:41:44. > :41:48.would not have been necessary yesterday?
:41:49. > :41:53.As I said in my first answer, I frequently make it clear that the
:41:54. > :41:58.independence of the judiciary is a vital part of our Constitution and
:41:59. > :42:03.our freedoms. I also think it is right that the president of the
:42:04. > :42:06.Supreme Court, who has absolute integrity, should make that case as
:42:07. > :42:12.well. Question 13.
:42:13. > :42:17.We are committed to helping vulnerable witnesses give their very
:42:18. > :42:23.best evidence and arranging measures to reduce the anxiety of this. These
:42:24. > :42:28.include giving video link evidence away from the court room from behind
:42:29. > :42:37.a screen and also from behind a screen with the court. Following the
:42:38. > :42:54.closure of my local court, can you provide further insurance...
:42:55. > :43:00.What is required to keep them safe is assessed by the police and ensure
:43:01. > :43:20.the witness has no need to My apologies. The prison and courts
:43:21. > :43:25.reform Bill was set out in legislation. The reform of offenders
:43:26. > :43:30.is a key person in prison. Everyone involved in prisons, from officers
:43:31. > :43:41.to headquarters will be focused on turning prisoners lives around.
:43:42. > :43:45.We'll should think about the pathway back to crime free living which do a
:43:46. > :43:51.lot to look after people before the develop the life skills to live
:43:52. > :43:58.independently from crying? I thank my honourable friend and the
:43:59. > :44:01.work they do in turning around the lives of young people. I will be
:44:02. > :44:06.giving a response to the review about how we're going to improve the
:44:07. > :44:10.youth justice system to do just that.
:44:11. > :44:13.Given the recent attack on a prison officer in my constituency, what
:44:14. > :44:20.will be Secretary of State be doing to ensure the safety prison officers
:44:21. > :44:24.at work? Making our prisons safer places is
:44:25. > :44:29.my number one priority. That is why we are dealing with drugs, drones
:44:30. > :44:35.and phones and investing in prison staff across the estate.
:44:36. > :44:41.Number 18, please. We are preparing legislation to
:44:42. > :44:44.create a new legal status, a guardian of property and affairs of
:44:45. > :44:48.a missing person, and we will introduce it as Parliamentary time
:44:49. > :44:53.allows. I hope to introduce a ten minute
:44:54. > :45:00.rule Bill on guardianship, helping relatives and friends. In memory of
:45:01. > :45:05.Claudia Lawrence, a doctor of one of my constituents, who went missing
:45:06. > :45:10.seven years ago. Will the Government offer their support and honour their
:45:11. > :45:14.memory by referring to it whenever possible as Claudia's Bill?
:45:15. > :45:21.That is good news and I wish him well with his Bill. I understand why
:45:22. > :45:25.he wants to refer to it as Claudia cost work law. -- Claudia's law. I
:45:26. > :45:28.want to examine my sympathies to the parents. The Government will
:45:29. > :45:36.formally announced their position and we are key to ignite keen to see
:45:37. > :45:41.this. Topical questions. Number one.
:45:42. > :45:45.Mr Speaker, our probation officers do vital job in turning offenders
:45:46. > :45:53.lives around, which I value highly. The prison and probation Minister is
:45:54. > :45:58.preparing a review, focusing on improving the quality of our
:45:59. > :46:03.services. We want a simpler, clearer system with specific outcome
:46:04. > :46:07.measures, such as getting offenders of drugs, improving educational
:46:08. > :46:11.standards and getting offenders into apprenticeships and work. We want a
:46:12. > :46:14.sequel is working with the prison service. We will set out more
:46:15. > :46:20.detailed plans after our review is completed in April.
:46:21. > :46:24.Guide dog owners are too often turned away by taxis, despite this
:46:25. > :46:29.being illegal. Research has sown that when offenders are prosecuted,
:46:30. > :46:33.they can be found for less than ?200. Will my right honourable
:46:34. > :46:37.friend seat to review the situation and seek to find ways to increase
:46:38. > :46:39.the penalties to make certain that discrimination of this type is more
:46:40. > :46:45.fully addressed? I thank my honourable friend with
:46:46. > :46:50.this question. It is appalling that some taxi drivers would refuse to
:46:51. > :46:53.take assistance dogs. This is an offence under the equality act of
:46:54. > :46:58.those and and ten, which can result in a fine of ?1000. I know that the
:46:59. > :47:02.Department for Transport is looking at improving training for drivers
:47:03. > :47:08.and the role taxi licensing can play in eradicating this is rumination.
:47:09. > :47:16.After the Government's climb-down on the outrageous line on immigration.
:47:17. > :47:22.If this Government really believed in access to justice, is it not time
:47:23. > :47:28.to listen to opposition to the unaffordable tribunal fees and
:47:29. > :47:32.opposition to the small claims limit changes and listen to our urgent
:47:33. > :47:37.demands that they finally begin a review into their savage legal aid
:47:38. > :47:42.cuts? We have already announced that we
:47:43. > :47:46.will be reviewing the last Bill, we will shortly be announcing the
:47:47. > :47:51.timetable for that. We do need is system that is both open and
:47:52. > :47:54.affordable. That is exactly what this Government is delivering.
:47:55. > :47:57.I am sure my right honourable friend will agree that an independent
:47:58. > :48:01.judiciary and a free press two pillars of a free society. While we
:48:02. > :48:06.we not all was like how each acts, we should be proud and protect
:48:07. > :48:11.those. I agree with my right honourable
:48:12. > :48:14.friend. We should be incredibly proud in this country of our
:48:15. > :48:20.independent judiciary, the cornerstone of the rule of law. We
:48:21. > :48:27.also have a robust free press, which is vitally important in making sure
:48:28. > :48:32.we have a freezer cited. -- a free society.
:48:33. > :48:39.Last year, the Government started their review into tribune you'll
:48:40. > :48:43.fees. We had not seen any results. Can she give me a firm date when
:48:44. > :48:46.this review will be completed and published and does he not believe it
:48:47. > :48:51.is time the Government abandon these unfair fees that are cutting the
:48:52. > :48:56.rights of working people? There is a difference. On the side,
:48:57. > :49:01.we think it is only fair that those that can afford to should make some
:49:02. > :49:05.contribution to the cost of a service which costs hard-working
:49:06. > :49:09.taxpayers it is ?6 million per year. We are reviewing this and doing a
:49:10. > :49:12.careful job on it because it is a very important issue and we will
:49:13. > :49:16.publish the outcome of the review in due course.
:49:17. > :49:21.I am sure my right honourable friend will agree that the main challenges
:49:22. > :49:24.of the justice system is integrating ex-offenders back into the outside
:49:25. > :49:32.world on release. Does he agreed that the success of this needs the
:49:33. > :49:37.cooperation of employers and what the Government will do to make sure
:49:38. > :49:40.such cooperation is encouraged and increased.
:49:41. > :49:44.I agree that it is a vital way we are going to reduce reoffending.
:49:45. > :49:49.What we're doing is launching a new employment strategy next year,
:49:50. > :49:52.working with employers. We have apprenticeships and prisons will be
:49:53. > :49:55.doing when they are in and out of prison to create that link between
:49:56. > :49:59.prison. Most importantly, we are making sure we match the jobs
:50:00. > :50:03.available on the outside with the training and work prisoners are
:50:04. > :50:08.doing on the inside. It is a pathway through to employment.
:50:09. > :50:12.The European criminal records information system enables the UK to
:50:13. > :50:18.access information on convictions of EU nationals. The future of our
:50:19. > :50:24.involvement is now unclear. What plans do they have two ensure
:50:25. > :50:27.effective engagement post Brexit? Can I say to the honourable
:50:28. > :50:33.gentleman that it is important that they should be liaison on Brexit
:50:34. > :50:39.between the Scottish Parliament and this Government and this Parliament
:50:40. > :50:43.and Government. That is happening, as he will know. It is an important
:50:44. > :50:48.system but if the Government is not announcing at this stage what it's
:50:49. > :50:53.negotiating is position is on Brexit.
:50:54. > :50:56.With care applications rising dramatically in the family courts,
:50:57. > :51:04.what steps is the Minister taking to head off what has been called as a
:51:05. > :51:09.looming crisis in the family courts? My honourable friend has made a very
:51:10. > :51:13.important point here and is asking a very important question. In the same
:51:14. > :51:20.period, the time taken to complete a case was as laughed. The family
:51:21. > :51:25.Justice board, which I call cheer, is investigating the reason for the
:51:26. > :51:30.rise and whether this is temporary. There are some vital issues involved
:51:31. > :51:35.here. Helping women not to lose excess of children to care. The
:51:36. > :51:41.pause project is doing positive work on this. I would be happy to have
:51:42. > :51:46.the meeting to discuss this further. Three secretaries of state for
:51:47. > :51:49.justice, health and local Government believe that parents in Hull should
:51:50. > :51:56.have an independent enquiry to find out what happened to their baby 's
:51:57. > :51:59.ashes. Does the current Secretary of State fully understand the
:52:00. > :52:03.disappointment that she will not stand up for justice for those
:52:04. > :52:10.parents and having that independent enquiry to find out what happened to
:52:11. > :52:16.those Ashes? I as a pathetic to the honourable
:52:17. > :52:22.lady concerned and I offer the sympathies. We do not plan to have
:52:23. > :52:29.an enquiry. Hull has made improvements, including new
:52:30. > :52:33.practices across communication between the local authorities and
:52:34. > :52:37.NHS trusts. Can I ask my right honourable friend
:52:38. > :52:44.what action the Government is taking to address the specific needs of
:52:45. > :52:49.women in the justice system? We are working to ensure that at
:52:50. > :52:52.every stage we are taking proper account of the specific needs of
:52:53. > :52:56.women, so that they receive the support they need to make positive
:52:57. > :53:01.changes in their lives. We went to see fewer women were fending and
:53:02. > :53:07.reoffending and will set out our strategy into thousand and 17. --
:53:08. > :53:10.offending. Can I give the Secretary of State and other opportunity to
:53:11. > :53:15.answer my question? She told this house that she has had meetings to
:53:16. > :53:22.discuss the levels of suicide in our presence. As Jack Lee visited a
:53:23. > :53:26.prison mental health service, and if not, why not?
:53:27. > :53:33.-- has she visited. I have visited a number of prisons. I have answered
:53:34. > :53:38.his question. Did my right honourable friend say
:53:39. > :53:43.what action the Government is taking to deal with ensuring the UK remains
:53:44. > :53:49.a specialist leader in world legal services?
:53:50. > :53:53.We are a moderate global centre for legal services and English law is
:53:54. > :53:58.the international law of choice. Our legal services sector contributes 26
:53:59. > :54:03.billion to the UK economy. We have the best legal system in the world
:54:04. > :54:08.and our organisation programme will keep us there. -- modernisation. I
:54:09. > :54:14.will be championing our legal services sector as a key part of
:54:15. > :54:21.post Brexit Britain. The family of one of my constituents
:54:22. > :54:24.that the man guilty of his manslaughter has been considered to
:54:25. > :54:31.be moved to an open prison one year before the family was told he would
:54:32. > :54:36.be considered and after he has only spent one year in prison.
:54:37. > :54:40.Is that just as? Obviously there is a careful risk assessment that is
:54:41. > :54:44.taking place for people who are moved into open prison. I am not
:54:45. > :54:50.aware of this case that he has outlined. I would be very happy to
:54:51. > :54:57.meet with him to discuss it. Thank you. The honourable member for
:54:58. > :55:02.Leeds East said that he thought that lord Newberg had mentioned that he
:55:03. > :55:08.would be deciding the case in accordance with the law. Does the
:55:09. > :55:11.secretary agree with me that he was saying that because that is his duty
:55:12. > :55:18.and that was because it was stated that it would be law and not
:55:19. > :55:29.politics... My honourable friend is right. She
:55:30. > :55:35.is right about his role and it is pronounced as I said. I have had
:55:36. > :55:46.three conversations with him. It is very important that the judiciary
:55:47. > :55:54.themselves state the case as well. The prisoners remain in custody
:55:55. > :55:56.along over at their tariff and after the previous Government abolished
:55:57. > :56:03.these sentences in the last parliament. The Ministry of Justice
:56:04. > :56:06.has a dedicated unit looking at the prisoners. Can the justice sector
:56:07. > :56:11.they tell us exactly what she is doing?
:56:12. > :56:16.We have a number of IPP prisoners I have met who are concerned to hear
:56:17. > :56:20.more about the progress they will make through the system. What the
:56:21. > :56:26.unit is doing is making sure there are sufficient parole hearings and
:56:27. > :56:29.that there are are are sufficient course is being taken and getting
:56:30. > :56:33.people to a stage where they are ready for release. It is always
:56:34. > :56:38.important to focus on public protection and we make sure we only
:56:39. > :56:47.release people who are not having that large risk.
:56:48. > :56:50.Woodhill prison in my constituency has had the highest number of
:56:51. > :56:53.suicides of any prison this year. Will my right honourable friend
:56:54. > :56:58.assured me she is working originally with the governor to address the
:56:59. > :57:02.situation. I can assure him we are working urgently with the governor
:57:03. > :57:07.to address the situation and address the overall issue of suicides in our
:57:08. > :57:12.prisons, which is too high. Reoffending rates among young
:57:13. > :57:18.offenders remain quite high. The Association of youth offending team
:57:19. > :57:23.managers have said earlier this year that there has been a record cut in
:57:24. > :57:27.funding. What is the Secretary of State doing to address this issue?
:57:28. > :57:30.I thank the honourable lady for the question and she will not have to
:57:31. > :57:33.wait long before we release the Charlie Taylor report as well as the
:57:34. > :57:38.Government response to this about how we will improve outcomes in
:57:39. > :57:42.youth justice. In February this year, 21-year-old
:57:43. > :57:47.Croydon resident George Beresford was knocked over and killed by a
:57:48. > :57:51.drink-driver. Because the police and CPS were unable to prove the
:57:52. > :57:54.drink-driver was also driving carelessly, he only received a
:57:55. > :58:01.relatively short driving ban instead of a custodial sentence. I thank the
:58:02. > :58:04.member for sorry for agreeing to meet the family this afternoon and I
:58:05. > :58:08.asked the minister if he agrees with me and the family that they should
:58:09. > :58:12.be looked at in a consultation, where a drink-driver kill someone, a
:58:13. > :58:16.custodial sentence is appropriate whether or not careless riding can
:58:17. > :58:21.be proven? The consultation makes it clear for
:58:22. > :58:27.our proposals whether someone is on drink, drugs or alcohol, and kill
:58:28. > :58:29.someone, there is evidence to charge them under careless dangerous
:58:30. > :58:33.driving, they could face a life sentence. It is for the CPS to
:58:34. > :58:38.prosecute based on the evidence and for the courts to hand down the
:58:39. > :58:44.relevant sentence and look forward to discussing the details of the
:58:45. > :58:48.specific case of the Beresfords with him this afternoon.
:58:49. > :58:51.My constituent is raising an action against his former employers of
:58:52. > :58:57.which there are many due to the nature of his work. He has to do it
:58:58. > :59:00.by the end of this year but cannot get a list of employers because the
:59:01. > :59:05.HMRC say it will take 321 days. I'm sure he would appreciate at the
:59:06. > :59:07.Justice Secretary would make representation to the Treasury and
:59:08. > :59:11.ask. I am happy to look into the case
:59:12. > :59:15.with the honourable lady. On her first day in office, the
:59:16. > :59:18.Prime Minister said, if you are black, you are treated more harshly
:59:19. > :59:23.by the criminal justice system than if you are white. I am pleased to
:59:24. > :59:26.have joined the review working with the honourable member for Tottenham
:59:27. > :59:29.looking into the treatment of an outcomes for black Asian and
:59:30. > :59:35.minority ethnic individuals in the criminal justice system. What steps
:59:36. > :59:38.will be Secretary of State take to address the findings that in
:59:39. > :59:41.relation to arrest rates and charging, they are
:59:42. > :59:44.disproportionately affected? Can I say first that I am delighted
:59:45. > :59:50.my honourable friend has joined that review. She will make a major
:59:51. > :59:53.contribution to it, I am sure. Clearly there are issues right to
:59:54. > :59:56.the criminal justice system and things we must look at. One thing I
:59:57. > :00:01.am keen to see is a greater degree of diversity across our legal
:00:02. > :00:04.services industry and in our judiciary. We work very hard on
:00:05. > :00:10.that. Education budgets are being devolved
:00:11. > :00:13.to prison governors. Is each of those individual budgets going to be
:00:14. > :00:22.ring fenced for spending on education purposes only?
:00:23. > :00:25.Yes. Well, a one word answer.
:00:26. > :00:30.Magnificent. I doubt we will get a one word question. We always ask the
:00:31. > :00:34.chair of the justice select committee, himself an accomplished
:00:35. > :00:38.lawyer, and there is a hint there. Mr Robertson meal.
:00:39. > :00:44.Given the Government's welcome development of a corruption
:00:45. > :00:51.prevention strategy, will the Minister look closely at the
:00:52. > :00:54.allegations of systemic corruption raised by Buzzfeed news today saying
:00:55. > :00:58.it is an undermining of our prison system?
:00:59. > :01:00.I agree with my honourable friend. Whilst the vast majority of prison
:01:01. > :01:04.officers are hard-working and dedicated there is a small minority
:01:05. > :01:10.that is an issue. We acknowledge that in the White Paper. Reporting
:01:11. > :01:15.early next year on our corruption strategy, we will be. We are also
:01:16. > :01:22.considering options around a prison specific offence of corruption to
:01:23. > :01:26.crack down on the scourge. I previously raised their concerns
:01:27. > :01:29.with the Lord Chancellor on the rise of gangs promoting extremist
:01:30. > :01:32.ideology in prisons. Can I right honourable friend update the house
:01:33. > :01:37.of how her department is cracking down on extremist behaviour?
:01:38. > :01:41.My honourable friend is right about our concerns and we rushed our
:01:42. > :01:44.response to the Aitchison review in the summer. I'm pleased to say all
:01:45. > :01:48.prison officers are currently being trained and will be by the end of
:01:49. > :01:51.the year, in tackling extremism. I will be pleased to meet with her to
:01:52. > :01:58.discuss further measures we can take to deal with this issue.
:01:59. > :02:04.We will conclude with another dose from Mr Philip Davis.
:02:05. > :02:06.Thank you, Mr Speaker. When the last Labour Government change the law so
:02:07. > :02:12.prisoners had to be released halfway through the sentence, irrespective
:02:13. > :02:18.of how badly behaved or a risk to the public, the conservative
:02:19. > :02:21.opposition voted against it. Does the Conservative Party think the
:02:22. > :02:24.Government were wrong to oppose that changing the law?
:02:25. > :02:27.And referred the honourable member to the answer I gave earlier that
:02:28. > :02:32.day and last at the select committee.
:02:33. > :02:44.I think this show will run on. Probably for some years... Order.
:02:45. > :02:47.Urgent questions to Andy McDonald. To ask the Secretary of State for
:02:48. > :02:50.Transport if he will make a statement on the Government's plans
:02:51. > :02:56.for train operating companies to take responsibility for track and
:02:57. > :03:00.infrastructure for Network Rail. The Secretary of State for
:03:01. > :03:09.Transport... Mr Speaker, he clearly misunderstood
:03:10. > :03:12.my plan. Let me explain. This morning, a written miss ministerial
:03:13. > :03:17.statement in both libraries of this House, my vision for reforming the
:03:18. > :03:23.railways to put passengers at the heart. Providing better, more
:03:24. > :03:26.reliable journeys. We have seen substantial growth in passenger
:03:27. > :03:30.numbers since privatisation but this growth brings challenges and impact
:03:31. > :03:33.and disruption could be immediate significant and wide-ranging. Our
:03:34. > :03:36.railways need to adapt and change in order to be able to cope with this
:03:37. > :03:38.huge expansion in the number