Browse content similar to Live Justice Questions. Check below for episodes and series from the same categories and more!
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Hello and welcome. In an hour the
shadow culture secretary, Tom | 0:00:09 | 0:00:15 | |
Watson, will ask an urgent question
on the announcement concerning the | 0:00:15 | 0:00:20 | |
government's review of fixed odds
betting terminals. People can bet | 0:00:20 | 0:00:25 | |
£100 every 20 seconds on electronic
casino games. Ministers are | 0:00:25 | 0:00:28 | |
considering a limit of £2 and £50.
The rest of the business will be | 0:00:28 | 0:00:36 | |
remaining stages of the Finance
Bill. This afternoon at 2:30pm the | 0:00:36 | 0:00:43 | |
Health Secretary will appear before
the Commons health committee. You | 0:00:43 | 0:00:46 | |
can watch that live on our website.
Please join me for a round-up of | 0:00:46 | 0:00:53 | |
both houses of parliament at 11pm
this evening but first questions to | 0:00:53 | 0:00:59 | |
the Justice Secretary and his team
of ministers. | 0:00:59 | 0:01:01 | |
The police have repeatedly
underlined the importance of the | 0:01:07 | 0:01:10 | |
European arrest warrant in fighting
crime. If the price of maintaining | 0:01:10 | 0:01:16 | |
security and continued effective
operation of other crime-fighting | 0:01:16 | 0:01:21 | |
mechanisms is the jurisdiction of
the European Court of Justice, will | 0:01:21 | 0:01:25 | |
the Minister put crime-fighting
first or let his arbitrary Red Line | 0:01:25 | 0:01:32 | |
jeopardised security? I thank the
honourable member. I am not sure | 0:01:32 | 0:01:37 | |
making the UK's Supreme Court has
the last say on the law of the land | 0:01:37 | 0:01:40 | |
his own arbitrary Red Line, but the
government's has set out our | 0:01:40 | 0:01:46 | |
relationship or future relationship.
We have an ambitious plan for | 0:01:46 | 0:01:51 | |
security law enforcement and
criminal justice. Maintaining strong | 0:01:51 | 0:01:59 | |
extradition relations is an
important part of that agenda. Will | 0:01:59 | 0:02:04 | |
the Minister take on board the
recommendation from the Justice | 0:02:04 | 0:02:07 | |
committee's report in the last
parliament, that underpinning any | 0:02:07 | 0:02:12 | |
practical means of criminal justice
cooperation, including the European | 0:02:12 | 0:02:17 | |
arrest warrant, is a continuing
relationship on maintaining data | 0:02:17 | 0:02:23 | |
equivalency? Unless the data
regulations are equivalent, it will | 0:02:23 | 0:02:26 | |
not be possible for European
agencies to share with us or vice | 0:02:26 | 0:02:29 | |
versa? I thank the chair of the
select committee, that is why we | 0:02:29 | 0:02:34 | |
have gone through the data
protection Bill. We have data | 0:02:34 | 0:02:37 | |
relations with countries all around
the world and I see no reason why we | 0:02:37 | 0:02:43 | |
wouldn't continue to do so. Given it
to countries like Iceland and Norway | 0:02:43 | 0:02:50 | |
13 years to negotiate extradition
arrangements with the EU, does the | 0:02:50 | 0:02:54 | |
minister accept that not maintaining
the European arrest warrant puts | 0:02:54 | 0:02:59 | |
people in this country at risk of
seeing criminals go free and those | 0:02:59 | 0:03:06 | |
criminals may well include terrorist
suspects who go free? No, we're not | 0:03:06 | 0:03:12 | |
in the position of Iceland, we start
with strong and intensive | 0:03:12 | 0:03:18 | |
cooperation extradition and we will
maintain that for many years to | 0:03:18 | 0:03:21 | |
come. With the Minister agree one of
the reasons people voted to leave | 0:03:21 | 0:03:26 | |
the European Union was to make the
Supreme Court, the Supreme Court? My | 0:03:26 | 0:03:33 | |
right honourable friend is right.
Also, let's not forget the advice of | 0:03:33 | 0:03:38 | |
the former Lord Chief Justice, Lord
Thomas, who made it clear that there | 0:03:38 | 0:03:43 | |
were problems with the European
arrest warrant. What we have done, | 0:03:43 | 0:03:47 | |
we have legislated for extra
safeguards, but no one has suggested | 0:03:47 | 0:03:54 | |
of dispensing altogether with vital
EU extradition except perhaps the | 0:03:54 | 0:03:58 | |
figment of the Liberal Democrats
imagination. Surely the government | 0:03:58 | 0:04:03 | |
can be clear the government's
priority must be continued | 0:04:03 | 0:04:07 | |
participation in the European arrest
warrant ahead of any jurisdiction | 0:04:07 | 0:04:11 | |
with the Court of justice? Can I
gently suggest he read the position | 0:04:11 | 0:04:19 | |
paper on future partnership that was
published in September. It deals | 0:04:19 | 0:04:23 | |
with the question he just asked, we
made it clear we do want to continue | 0:04:23 | 0:04:28 | |
vital extradition relations with our
EU partners. Number two Mr Speaker. | 0:04:28 | 0:04:38 | |
The United Kingdom has a long
tradition to ensure liberties and | 0:04:38 | 0:04:43 | |
rights are protected domestically
and fulfil human rights obligations | 0:04:43 | 0:04:46 | |
and our decision to leave the
European Union does not say this. | 0:04:46 | 0:04:50 | |
Last week, during evidence to the
Brexit committee, the minister said | 0:04:50 | 0:04:54 | |
it is right we continue to rely on
the Human Rights Act and the | 0:04:54 | 0:05:00 | |
Convention. Is it the government's
intention to stay ECHR? Leaving the | 0:05:00 | 0:05:12 | |
European Union does not affect our
membership of the convention. When I | 0:05:12 | 0:05:19 | |
was on that side of the House, we
were assured by ministers that the | 0:05:19 | 0:05:25 | |
Charter of fundamental right would
not apply to the United Kingdom. I | 0:05:25 | 0:05:28 | |
hope we will be able to deliver
that. The EU withdrawal bill ensures | 0:05:28 | 0:05:42 | |
it underpins the Charter and will
still have an effect on UK law after | 0:05:42 | 0:05:46 | |
we leave the EU. The Charter was
created as a collection of the laws | 0:05:46 | 0:05:51 | |
of the EU had passed and I think it
would be wrong if that Charter | 0:05:51 | 0:05:58 | |
continued to be sited in any future
legal case once we have left the | 0:05:58 | 0:06:01 | |
European Union. Can the Minister
assure us that if we leave the | 0:06:01 | 0:06:09 | |
European Union, that human rights
are very much involved the ability | 0:06:09 | 0:06:16 | |
to put right miscarriages of justice
and will he assure me the criminal | 0:06:16 | 0:06:20 | |
Case review commission will be
strengthened rather than weakened? I | 0:06:20 | 0:06:27 | |
can assure the honourable gentleman
the government's intention is to | 0:06:27 | 0:06:32 | |
confirm that post-leaving the
European Union, when we leave the | 0:06:32 | 0:06:37 | |
European Union, such access to
justice is available to British | 0:06:37 | 0:06:39 | |
citizens. When the United Kingdom
leaves the European Union, does the | 0:06:39 | 0:06:48 | |
Minister, when that happens, does
the Minister agree that Council of | 0:06:48 | 0:06:53 | |
Europe will become an increasing
important interlocutor between this | 0:06:53 | 0:06:59 | |
country and the European Union? Will
he reiterate this government's | 0:06:59 | 0:07:02 | |
commitment to staying in the
European Court of Human Rights? I | 0:07:02 | 0:07:07 | |
thank him for his question. When we
leave the European Union, it is | 0:07:07 | 0:07:15 | |
important Britain maintains a strong
role in international affairs in | 0:07:15 | 0:07:17 | |
terms of its lead on human rights. I
remind the House the original | 0:07:17 | 0:07:24 | |
convention on human rights was
written by two Britons. Number | 0:07:24 | 0:07:28 | |
three, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker,
community sentences has been coming | 0:07:28 | 0:07:39 | |
down since 2005. 34% of adults given
a community order or suspended | 0:07:39 | 0:07:44 | |
sentence order go on to reoffend.
That evidence shows the community | 0:07:44 | 0:07:49 | |
sentences are more affective of
reducing reoffending by short-term | 0:07:49 | 0:07:54 | |
prison sentences. I thank the
Secretary of State for his answer. I | 0:07:54 | 0:07:59 | |
welcome the figures published on
Thursday showing figures coming down | 0:07:59 | 0:08:04 | |
given community sentences. The third
of people on community sentences do | 0:08:04 | 0:08:08 | |
reoffend. Would he consider the
swift and certain programmes in the | 0:08:08 | 0:08:12 | |
United States that have had
considerable effect? I am certainly | 0:08:12 | 0:08:20 | |
keen to learn from best practice,
not just in the United States, but | 0:08:20 | 0:08:25 | |
in other jurisdictions around the
world as well. What was striking | 0:08:25 | 0:08:29 | |
about some of the figures last week,
they showed that offenders who | 0:08:29 | 0:08:32 | |
underwent drug or alcohol treatment
in this country showed a 33% | 0:08:32 | 0:08:38 | |
reduction in the number of offences
they committed the following two | 0:08:38 | 0:08:40 | |
years. It is a lesson we can learn
from. Can I also recommend to the | 0:08:40 | 0:08:48 | |
Minister my proposal of deferred
prosecutions, which also gets to the | 0:08:48 | 0:08:55 | |
community responses, that can reduce
recidivism and recommend those in | 0:08:55 | 0:09:00 | |
the review the government asked for?
I reiterate to the honourable | 0:09:00 | 0:09:06 | |
gentleman, the government's
appreciation for the work he put | 0:09:06 | 0:09:09 | |
that review. We shall be responding
in detail to his recommendations, | 0:09:09 | 0:09:16 | |
including the one he has just
mentioned. Isn't it the case | 0:09:16 | 0:09:21 | |
according to the Ministry of Justice
own figures, there is a direct | 0:09:21 | 0:09:25 | |
correlation between the length of a
prison sentence and the likelihood | 0:09:25 | 0:09:29 | |
of an offender reoffending. The
longer somebody spends in prison, | 0:09:29 | 0:09:32 | |
the less likelihood they are going
to reoffend? What is true is, it is | 0:09:32 | 0:09:43 | |
the short-term sentences that appear
to have the least effect in reduced | 0:09:43 | 0:09:48 | |
reoffending, but the comparison with
them is of alternative community | 0:09:48 | 0:09:54 | |
sentences, which are available to
that similar type of crime and those | 0:09:54 | 0:10:01 | |
community sentences work best when
they link up with services such as | 0:10:01 | 0:10:06 | |
drug and alcohol treatment
programmes, provided sometimes by | 0:10:06 | 0:10:09 | |
other authorities in the community.
I think the whole House will agree | 0:10:09 | 0:10:16 | |
that community sentences function
only when magistrates have trust in | 0:10:16 | 0:10:20 | |
the people supervising them. Last
year there were thousands of | 0:10:20 | 0:10:24 | |
community sentences served in London
so therefore will the Secretary of | 0:10:24 | 0:10:28 | |
State commit to an urgent
independent review of the | 0:10:28 | 0:10:32 | |
performance of the London company
responsible for supervising many of | 0:10:32 | 0:10:35 | |
these community sentences in London,
following revelations in last week's | 0:10:35 | 0:10:40 | |
panorama investigation that the
London CRC had failed to act on | 0:10:40 | 0:10:46 | |
15,000 missed appointments over 16
months? The company responsible as | 0:10:46 | 0:10:52 | |
the honourable gentleman knows, has
denied some of the claims that were | 0:10:52 | 0:10:58 | |
made in the panorama programme.
Number less, it is quite clear | 0:10:58 | 0:11:02 | |
missed appointments are a serious
matter. We expect the London CRC | 0:11:02 | 0:11:07 | |
like others, to take appropriate
action. I believe in the Independent | 0:11:07 | 0:11:15 | |
inspectorate of probation, we have
precisely the kind of independent | 0:11:15 | 0:11:18 | |
body the honourable gentleman has
called for. They are looking at | 0:11:18 | 0:11:21 | |
London and we look forward to their
next report. I hear the Secretary of | 0:11:21 | 0:11:28 | |
State's reassurances in relation to
the delivery of these community | 0:11:28 | 0:11:33 | |
sentences from the so-called CRCs.
But I would need to know the advice | 0:11:33 | 0:11:43 | |
Minister has about the failure of
those CRCs. Because of this | 0:11:43 | 0:11:47 | |
documentary, panorama revealed a
paper warning of the risks of | 0:11:47 | 0:11:52 | |
handing much of the supervision of
community sentences to the | 0:11:52 | 0:11:56 | |
privatisation of probation. Will the
Secretary of State make this memo | 0:11:56 | 0:12:00 | |
public so we and this House can
assure these flaws are being | 0:12:00 | 0:12:03 | |
tackled? | 0:12:03 | 0:12:09 | |
I think the honourable gentleman is
referring to a document that was | 0:12:09 | 0:12:13 | |
produced some years ago. What is
important now is addressing the | 0:12:13 | 0:12:17 | |
underperformance of some areas of
the probation service that we act | 0:12:17 | 0:12:22 | |
upon the recommendations from the
Independent probation inspectorate | 0:12:22 | 0:12:26 | |
and seek through the contractual
mechanism to drive up standards to | 0:12:26 | 0:12:29 | |
where the public would expect them
to be. | 0:12:29 | 0:12:41 | |
We recognise the distinct legal
systems across the UK and engage | 0:12:41 | 0:12:44 | |
with counterparts in the devolved
administrations to prepare the | 0:12:44 | 0:12:46 | |
ground for Brexit in terms of
preparing a smooth transition on | 0:12:46 | 0:12:50 | |
things like civil co-operation but
seizing the global opportunities | 0:12:50 | 0:12:54 | |
which contributed around £25 billion
for the UK economy last year. That | 0:12:54 | 0:13:02 | |
being the case, what actual steps
has his department taken to ensure | 0:13:02 | 0:13:07 | |
the Scottish legal services and the
Scottish legal system is protected | 0:13:07 | 0:13:10 | |
once the UK leads the UK? There is a
two part answer to that. Worst of | 0:13:10 | 0:13:17 | |
all in negotiations with EU partners
we are very focused on making sure | 0:13:17 | 0:13:20 | |
the cooperation we have now
continues as best and optimally as | 0:13:20 | 0:13:24 | |
it did in the future. In relation to
the legal position, legal certainty | 0:13:24 | 0:13:33 | |
will be ensured for citizens across
the UK. The Government's legal | 0:13:33 | 0:13:42 | |
services, it focuses solely on the
promotion of the English legal | 0:13:42 | 0:13:50 | |
system but there is no mention of
Scotland and Northern Ireland. You | 0:13:50 | 0:13:54 | |
see this is rectified later this
year? I thank the Honourable | 0:13:54 | 0:13:59 | |
gentleman. I can tell him we are
absolutely committed to promoting | 0:13:59 | 0:14:04 | |
everyone of the finest exports
Scotland has from whiskey through to | 0:14:04 | 0:14:07 | |
its brilliant lawyers. The
Government's EU position papers on | 0:14:07 | 0:14:16 | |
enforcement and dispute resolution
and security law enforcement and | 0:14:16 | 0:14:20 | |
justice have significant
implications for the Scottish legal | 0:14:20 | 0:14:24 | |
system and for law devolved to the
Scottish Parliament. Yet committed a | 0:14:24 | 0:14:28 | |
dance of their publication, there
was no consultation with the | 0:14:28 | 0:14:31 | |
Scottish Government or the Scottish
Law officers. What assurance can you | 0:14:31 | 0:14:36 | |
give me that this sort of oversight
will not happen again? I can say to | 0:14:36 | 0:14:44 | |
the Honourable Lady, there was
considerable dialogue with all of | 0:14:44 | 0:14:48 | |
the devolved Administration is on
the substance underpinning the | 0:14:48 | 0:14:52 | |
position papers and a negotiating
position the UK has been taken. Said | 0:14:52 | 0:14:59 | |
David Edward, a former judge at the
Court of Justice, recently gave | 0:14:59 | 0:15:03 | |
evidence to the Scottish Parliament
about these papers. He said, the UK | 0:15:03 | 0:15:08 | |
Government has overlooked the
significance of the sector of the | 0:15:08 | 0:15:11 | |
Scottish legal system, the
significance of the Scottish | 0:15:11 | 0:15:15 | |
judicial system and the Scottish
prosecution system, particularly in | 0:15:15 | 0:15:19 | |
relation to justice and home affairs
issues such as Europol, the European | 0:15:19 | 0:15:25 | |
Arrest Warrant, cross-border systems
and regulations about regulation and | 0:15:25 | 0:15:29 | |
enforcement of judgments. Will the
minister undertake to meet so that | 0:15:29 | 0:15:34 | |
these oversights may be rectified? I
thank the Honourable Lady does she | 0:15:34 | 0:15:40 | |
has not pointed to one aspect, one
paragraph in the opposition paper | 0:15:40 | 0:15:44 | |
she thinks we have got wrong. We
certainly do accept, recognise and | 0:15:44 | 0:15:50 | |
embrace the huge contribution to the
Scottish legal and justice system | 0:15:50 | 0:15:52 | |
makes. In relation to going forward,
will bear in mind very closely the | 0:15:52 | 0:15:58 | |
different contours across the whole
of the UK. Mr Speaker, the families | 0:15:58 | 0:16:11 | |
of the resettlement agency that we
have covered this is a view shared | 0:16:11 | 0:16:17 | |
by the probation service and Ofsted
at the time to work on these | 0:16:17 | 0:16:20 | |
relationships is the moment an
offender is sent to jail for them to | 0:16:20 | 0:16:23 | |
leave it longer is to leave it too
late for that that is why I welcome | 0:16:23 | 0:16:26 | |
the excellent review by Lord Farmer
to implement all these | 0:16:26 | 0:16:32 | |
recommendations. Figures from the
farmer review show inmates receiving | 0:16:32 | 0:16:36 | |
regular family visits are 39% less
likely to reoffend. What steps are | 0:16:36 | 0:16:41 | |
the Government taking to enable more
family visits to happen in our | 0:16:41 | 0:16:46 | |
prisons? The honourable member is
absolutely right. Reoffending rates | 0:16:46 | 0:16:58 | |
are amongst people with family
contact and not lower than for other | 0:16:58 | 0:17:01 | |
offenders. We're working to
implement all of Lord Farmer's | 0:17:01 | 0:17:02 | |
reviews over time. I know I shall be
meeting with her and a number of | 0:17:02 | 0:17:05 | |
colleagues to discuss our progress
on this later. The reference is of | 0:17:05 | 0:17:10 | |
prisoner well-being. In Nottingham
four prisoners have killed | 0:17:10 | 0:17:16 | |
themselves and one died of an
overdose. Why is this happening and | 0:17:16 | 0:17:19 | |
what do you plan to do about it? The
Honourable member makes an important | 0:17:19 | 0:17:25 | |
point certainly for a lot of
prisoners, whether mental well-being | 0:17:25 | 0:17:28 | |
or to do with issues of self harm
but also violence. Family contact | 0:17:28 | 0:17:33 | |
can make the difference | 0:17:33 | 0:17:44 | |
was that there are specific issues
relating to HMP Nottingham and I | 0:17:45 | 0:17:47 | |
will be willing to write to him
about those. In South Wales there | 0:17:47 | 0:17:50 | |
are parents- teacher evenings which
take place in the prison so fathers | 0:17:50 | 0:17:55 | |
can... Will you follow the example
set by Park? At Parc prison there is | 0:17:55 | 0:18:08 | |
good practice dotted around the
prison estate. We have our parent | 0:18:08 | 0:18:14 | |
voice in other prisons. We want to
see the good practice spread across | 0:18:14 | 0:18:18 | |
the entire estate to enable us to
devolved budgets to prison governors | 0:18:18 | 0:18:24 | |
but also hold them to account and we
are piloting new family and | 0:18:24 | 0:18:28 | |
significant relationship performance
measures as of next year. Mr | 0:18:28 | 0:18:33 | |
Speaker, number six. Thank you, Mr
Speaker yesterday I laid a written | 0:18:33 | 0:18:39 | |
ministerial statement before the
house setting out the details of | 0:18:39 | 0:18:45 | |
legal aid relating to punishing
offenders act. It discharges the | 0:18:45 | 0:18:49 | |
promise made by previous ministers
to this house. Expect the review to | 0:18:49 | 0:18:53 | |
complete by the summer of 2018. -- I
expect. I thank the Honourable | 0:18:53 | 0:19:01 | |
Minister for his response on legal
aid reforms. It is disappointing | 0:19:01 | 0:19:05 | |
even though the Government first
announced its review nine months ago | 0:19:05 | 0:19:09 | |
it's not conclude for another nine
months. That is nine more months and | 0:19:09 | 0:19:13 | |
many thousands of people not being
able to afford access to the the | 0:19:13 | 0:19:17 | |
justice system. The Government's
forms to legal aid were intended to | 0:19:17 | 0:19:24 | |
save millions of pounds. Legal aid
has fallen by double that. Will the | 0:19:24 | 0:19:29 | |
minister lobby his colleague, the
Chancellor, to ensure some of the | 0:19:29 | 0:19:33 | |
additional savings go immediately to
helping those who have been priced | 0:19:33 | 0:19:37 | |
out of access to our justice system?
I thank the honourable gentleman. I | 0:19:37 | 0:19:42 | |
thought he might have welcomed the
fact that yesterday we laid out the | 0:19:42 | 0:19:46 | |
terms of the review. I'm not sure he
has had a chance to study the post | 0:19:46 | 0:19:53 | |
legislative memorandum. Last year we
spent 1.6 billion on legal aid in | 0:19:53 | 0:19:58 | |
England and Wales, quarter of the
Minister of justice budget. | 0:19:58 | 0:20:02 | |
International comparisons are more
exact. The UK spent more per counter | 0:20:02 | 0:20:06 | |
than any other Council of Europe
member. Mr Speaker, in looking at | 0:20:06 | 0:20:12 | |
the effect of the reduction of legal
aid on access to justice, will the | 0:20:12 | 0:20:19 | |
minister also comment upon the
impact on access to justice of the | 0:20:19 | 0:20:24 | |
closure of Magistrates' Courts? The
closure of Kendall caught the summer | 0:20:24 | 0:20:28 | |
has removed easy access to justice
for hundreds of people, increasing | 0:20:28 | 0:20:32 | |
pressure on the police, legal
professionals and local families. | 0:20:32 | 0:20:36 | |
What can he do to restore the
physical access to justice? I have | 0:20:36 | 0:20:41 | |
to say to the honourable gentleman,
I understand his concern. We have a | 0:20:41 | 0:20:48 | |
£1 billion court reform programme
invested in updating, modernising | 0:20:48 | 0:20:54 | |
and introducing technology so that
as a result, we will actually | 0:20:54 | 0:20:58 | |
deliver more sensitive justice for
victims and witnesses but also a | 0:20:58 | 0:21:02 | |
better bang for the tax payers back.
Wales has seen one of the largest | 0:21:02 | 0:21:08 | |
drops in legal aid provision,
particularly with housing with a | 0:21:08 | 0:21:13 | |
government's belated reviews be
specifically looking at the impact | 0:21:13 | 0:21:15 | |
of this? I would say, the terms of
reference have been set out very | 0:21:15 | 0:21:22 | |
clearly. The post-legislative
memorandum is wide in scope. She | 0:21:22 | 0:21:27 | |
should feel free to submit any
particular point she wants to | 0:21:27 | 0:21:30 | |
consider. I will not pre-empt or
prejudice the scope of the review we | 0:21:30 | 0:21:35 | |
have undertaken. Has my right
honourable friend seen any evidence | 0:21:35 | 0:21:41 | |
that reduction in legal aid has
affected rights in this country? Why | 0:21:41 | 0:21:48 | |
is the market not working properly?
Good many of those issues will be | 0:21:48 | 0:21:52 | |
examined by the review was if he
would like to write me with any | 0:21:52 | 0:21:57 | |
concerns, I would be happy to look
at them. 20 months ago the Court of | 0:21:57 | 0:22:02 | |
Appeal revealed the Government's
restrictions of conviction for | 0:22:02 | 0:22:08 | |
domestic violence to be unlawful.
Nine months ago ministers told this | 0:22:08 | 0:22:11 | |
house that they would make changes
that would make it easier for | 0:22:11 | 0:22:14 | |
victims of domestic violence to
access legal aid. Nothing has | 0:22:14 | 0:22:18 | |
happened. Victims can await another
nine months. When will the secondary | 0:22:18 | 0:22:23 | |
legislation be brought forward? I
thank the Honourable lady she is | 0:22:23 | 0:22:27 | |
right that its survival to make sure
legal aid is available to victims of | 0:22:27 | 0:22:31 | |
domestic violence. It was granted in
12,000 cases last year. We have | 0:22:31 | 0:22:38 | |
reviewed the evidence and committed
to making it easier for victims to | 0:22:38 | 0:22:42 | |
access legal aid I'll be announcing
details shortly. Number seven, Mr | 0:22:42 | 0:22:48 | |
Speaker. We have already given
government 's freedom over prisons | 0:22:48 | 0:22:53 | |
daily routine at timetabling the
staffing and family services and we | 0:22:53 | 0:22:57 | |
intend to give governors control of
areas such as education and training | 0:22:57 | 0:23:00 | |
provision. As other current contract
is, I will be looking at | 0:23:00 | 0:23:08 | |
opportunities to devolved further
powerful but there are 21 | 0:23:08 | 0:23:11 | |
recommendations in the farmer
review. Ministers have made a | 0:23:11 | 0:23:13 | |
commitment for them all. What
incentives are being given to prison | 0:23:13 | 0:23:19 | |
governors to insure that
implementation happens on the | 0:23:19 | 0:23:24 | |
ground? The budgets have already
been devolved to governors, which | 0:23:24 | 0:23:27 | |
enables them to commission family
services that are tailored to the | 0:23:27 | 0:23:31 | |
specific needs of their prisoners. I
have seen examples of this myself in | 0:23:31 | 0:23:36 | |
visiting both HMP Parc and HMP Proms
field. Governors will also be | 0:23:36 | 0:23:42 | |
supported by new family services
guidance which will incorporate | 0:23:42 | 0:23:47 | |
evidence of Lord Farmer's reports
they can incorporate this practice. | 0:23:47 | 0:23:53 | |
It was confirmed that Bedford prison
was closed due to understaffing. | 0:23:53 | 0:24:01 | |
Improvements have been made while
the prison has operated at half | 0:24:01 | 0:24:06 | |
capacity that can the minister in
show me the same problems will not | 0:24:06 | 0:24:08 | |
happen while the prisoners operating
at full capacity? I am sure the | 0:24:08 | 0:24:13 | |
honourable gentleman were welcome
the fact we are halfway towards | 0:24:13 | 0:24:22 | |
reporting the additional 2500 prison
officers that my predecessor, the | 0:24:22 | 0:24:26 | |
right honourable member for South
West Norfolk, announced about a year | 0:24:26 | 0:24:29 | |
ago. If the honourable gentleman has
particular concerns about the | 0:24:29 | 0:24:34 | |
specific prison, I'm sure my
honourable friend the prisons | 0:24:34 | 0:24:37 | |
minister will be happy to discuss
this with him. I thank you, Mr | 0:24:37 | 0:24:42 | |
Speaker. I welcome the commitment to
implement in geek Farmer Review in | 0:24:42 | 0:24:46 | |
full. Importantly about family ties.
-- the Pharma. What more can be done | 0:24:46 | 0:24:55 | |
to ensure this is rolled out across
the whole prison estate? One thing | 0:24:55 | 0:25:00 | |
which has struck me since being
imported to this role in government | 0:25:00 | 0:25:03 | |
is that we need to get better at
ensuring that the best, most | 0:25:03 | 0:25:09 | |
successful practices, in prisons,
are disseminated rapidly and widely. | 0:25:09 | 0:25:15 | |
One means of doing that is to ensure
that there is additional support for | 0:25:15 | 0:25:21 | |
individual prison governors at
regional level so they have | 0:25:21 | 0:25:26 | |
experienced mentors available to
them, particularly for new | 0:25:26 | 0:25:29 | |
governors. I hope that will help to
deliver change. Governors cite the | 0:25:29 | 0:25:36 | |
outsourcing of facilities
management, maintenance and repairs | 0:25:36 | 0:25:40 | |
as undermining their ability to
manage important elements within our | 0:25:40 | 0:25:43 | |
own prisons. Labour announced a
review working with prison governors | 0:25:43 | 0:25:48 | |
to identify those private service
contracts that can be brought back | 0:25:48 | 0:25:52 | |
in-house to save the taxpayer money
and also, at the same time, improve | 0:25:52 | 0:25:57 | |
prison conditions. Will the
Government also commit to reviewing | 0:25:57 | 0:26:01 | |
these contracts? As I said in my
answer to my honourable friend, as | 0:26:01 | 0:26:12 | |
existing contracts expire, we shall
be seeking new opportunities to | 0:26:12 | 0:26:16 | |
devolve powers to governors and two
clusters of prisons. They will then, | 0:26:16 | 0:26:24 | |
in association with the prison
service headquarters, have to strike | 0:26:24 | 0:26:28 | |
a balance between local provisioning
of services and the need to secure | 0:26:28 | 0:26:31 | |
the best value for taxpayers money.
Number eight, Mr Speaker. At justice | 0:26:31 | 0:26:42 | |
questions in April I committed to
looking at this further. I remain to | 0:26:42 | 0:26:45 | |
be convinced this is a matter for
the Ministry of Justice. Does the | 0:26:45 | 0:26:51 | |
minister agree with me to completely
unacceptable for a British citizen, | 0:26:51 | 0:26:57 | |
representing the strikers, to take
the issue to the EU petitions | 0:26:57 | 0:27:00 | |
committee for a judgment to be found
in his favour and for his own | 0:27:00 | 0:27:03 | |
government not to even bother to
respond? | 0:27:03 | 0:27:13 | |
The Ministry of Justice doesn't
think it holds any documents | 0:27:13 | 0:27:16 | |
regarding this case. I would be
grateful if the honourable member | 0:27:16 | 0:27:20 | |
would write to me setting up the
issues and I will almost certainly | 0:27:20 | 0:27:23 | |
to arrange for my officials to have
a meeting with them. Drones are a | 0:27:23 | 0:27:31 | |
threat, but also an opportunity for
prisons, where they are a threat we | 0:27:31 | 0:27:36 | |
are determined to tackle the
organised crime groups who use them. | 0:27:36 | 0:27:39 | |
In terms of the opportunities, the
prison service is investing in | 0:27:39 | 0:27:45 | |
drones to manage large-scale
incidents to allow us to respond | 0:27:45 | 0:27:55 | |
quickly. I think the Minister is
seeking to group this question. I | 0:27:55 | 0:28:04 | |
thank my honourable friend, he will
know the technology that moves | 0:28:04 | 0:28:06 | |
faster. Can he assure me hate champ
in my constituency will have access | 0:28:06 | 0:28:13 | |
to the relevant funds in order to
have the technologies in place to | 0:28:13 | 0:28:17 | |
combat both the use of drones and
mobile telephones? Absolutely. It | 0:28:17 | 0:28:27 | |
would benefit from a 2 million pot
which is being used to invest in | 0:28:27 | 0:28:32 | |
mobile phone detection technology
and an additional £3 million being | 0:28:32 | 0:28:37 | |
invested in a national intelligence
team to help tackle serious and | 0:28:37 | 0:28:41 | |
organised crime and what this'll do,
is allow us to do with serious and | 0:28:41 | 0:28:46 | |
organised crime in our prisons but
also our community, as we will be | 0:28:46 | 0:28:49 | |
working with the Home Office on this
project. I thank the Minister for | 0:28:49 | 0:28:58 | |
that response. On April the PSNI and
Prison Service in Northern Ireland | 0:28:58 | 0:29:09 | |
set up a project to address the
problem of mobile phones drugs and | 0:29:09 | 0:29:13 | |
contraband being brought into
prisons. Has he considered a radio | 0:29:13 | 0:29:19 | |
blocker that would prevent drones
entering prison property? | 0:29:19 | 0:29:25 | |
Absolutely, we do have an
intelligence unit dealing with | 0:29:25 | 0:29:29 | |
organised crime in our prisons in a
concerted way. But we are doing that | 0:29:29 | 0:29:33 | |
alongside investing in anti-drug
technology, but also my Bell phone | 0:29:33 | 0:29:37 | |
detection technology and bringing
this together means we can do with | 0:29:37 | 0:29:44 | |
the threat of drones pose across the
prison estate. Also deal with it in | 0:29:44 | 0:29:51 | |
the community because often the
organised crime is in the community | 0:29:51 | 0:29:54 | |
or people in the prison estate doing
this. Approximately 200 kilograms of | 0:29:54 | 0:30:03 | |
drugs were smuggled into the England
and Wales prison estate last day. | 0:30:03 | 0:30:08 | |
What proportion does the Minister
believe smuggled in with the use of | 0:30:08 | 0:30:12 | |
drones and what support is he giving
to the prison in my constituency to | 0:30:12 | 0:30:17 | |
help deal with this? It is difficult
to tell what proportion was brought | 0:30:17 | 0:30:22 | |
in by drones. Where drones are
successful, we know the ones that | 0:30:22 | 0:30:26 | |
are unsuccessful. We do know drones
are a serious and emerging threat | 0:30:26 | 0:30:32 | |
because of the load they can carry
in our prisons. Dealing with drugs | 0:30:32 | 0:30:37 | |
in prisons is not just about the
counter drones strategy, it is about | 0:30:37 | 0:30:41 | |
looking at the illicit economy
imprisons over role, mobile phones | 0:30:41 | 0:30:46 | |
help facilitate this, but also
cracking down on corruption where it | 0:30:46 | 0:30:49 | |
exists, in looking at the supply
chain and looking at law | 0:30:49 | 0:30:53 | |
enforcement. There is no single way
of dealing with this, we have to do | 0:30:53 | 0:30:56 | |
all this across the board to crack
down on it. I have seen a number of | 0:30:56 | 0:31:07 | |
incidents in my time in prisons, and
every incident that happens in any | 0:31:07 | 0:31:11 | |
prison has its own unique situation.
And that is why we always | 0:31:11 | 0:31:17 | |
investigate incidents in prisons
very thoroughly. It is obviously the | 0:31:17 | 0:31:20 | |
case we held some of the most
challenging individuals in our | 0:31:20 | 0:31:24 | |
society in our prisons, so incidents
sometimes do occur. Our job is to | 0:31:24 | 0:31:29 | |
minimise the risk and manage those
incidents when they happen. The | 0:31:29 | 0:31:36 | |
Chief Inspectorate of prisons has
said that staffing levels simply are | 0:31:36 | 0:31:40 | |
too low for a decent regime to be
run. We need prison officers on the | 0:31:40 | 0:31:45 | |
front line, not filling in for cuts
elsewhere. Under this government we | 0:31:45 | 0:31:50 | |
have lost 6000 prison officers. Will
he take some of the responsibility | 0:31:50 | 0:31:55 | |
for the crises that have taken place
in my constituency of Walton? The | 0:31:55 | 0:32:05 | |
member for Liverpool Walton, I have
taken a keen interest in his local | 0:32:05 | 0:32:09 | |
prison. The staff complement there
is as it should be, one of the ten | 0:32:09 | 0:32:17 | |
Pathfinder prisons where we are
implementing a new offender | 0:32:17 | 0:32:20 | |
management model and I was
discussing the staffing level there | 0:32:20 | 0:32:23 | |
with the chair of the prison
officers Association and he | 0:32:23 | 0:32:28 | |
commended that staffing is at full
strength. That doesn't mean there | 0:32:28 | 0:32:31 | |
isn't more to do, but I'm confident
we will achieve that. The chief | 0:32:31 | 0:32:41 | |
executive of the Prison Service has
stated that because of overcrowding, | 0:32:41 | 0:32:47 | |
the government won't be able to
proceed with planned closures, | 0:32:47 | 0:32:50 | |
throwing the financing of their
prison building plan into disarray. | 0:32:50 | 0:32:54 | |
In light of these concerns, the OJ
will be able to build new prisons | 0:32:54 | 0:33:00 | |
without selling off the old. The
model their building plan was based. | 0:33:00 | 0:33:06 | |
Can the Minister give a guarantee
that no new prison places will be | 0:33:06 | 0:33:10 | |
built from private funds? The
honourable member seems to have | 0:33:10 | 0:33:16 | |
forgotten that we have a duty to
House those sentenced by the court. | 0:33:16 | 0:33:23 | |
The current prison population in
England and Wales is 80 6000. We | 0:33:23 | 0:33:29 | |
have a duty to provide accommodation
for them to serve their sentence. We | 0:33:29 | 0:33:33 | |
still have a commitment to invest
£1.3 million in the prison estate to | 0:33:33 | 0:33:38 | |
create 10,000 additional prison
places. That certainly remains the | 0:33:38 | 0:33:43 | |
case over the course of this
Parliament. The Minister will be | 0:33:43 | 0:33:48 | |
aware one of the main causes of
overcrowding in our prisons are the | 0:33:48 | 0:33:52 | |
very long delays in our criminal
justice system and the number of | 0:33:52 | 0:33:57 | |
prisoners on remand. He will know I
have written to him about, of a very | 0:33:57 | 0:34:01 | |
long delay of somebody on remand,
Cordell Austin, who was first | 0:34:01 | 0:34:09 | |
arrested back in May 2016 under a
large joint enterprise case, but was | 0:34:09 | 0:34:14 | |
acquitted in August this year. He's
still in prison, having served | 0:34:14 | 0:34:19 | |
nearly 18 months in prison. He's not
due to get his oral hearing, we were | 0:34:19 | 0:34:24 | |
told next year, now it is going to
be December. Aren't these sorts of | 0:34:24 | 0:34:29 | |
cases that need attention and
shouldn't those hearings be heard | 0:34:29 | 0:34:32 | |
promptly? Justice has to be swift
and where people have to go through | 0:34:32 | 0:34:38 | |
the justice system, it has to be.
Can I correct an assumption in the | 0:34:38 | 0:34:43 | |
question, the reason why the prison
population has increased in England | 0:34:43 | 0:34:45 | |
and Wales is because we have more
people convicted of sex-related | 0:34:45 | 0:34:51 | |
offences who are serving longer
sentences. Given our duty to protect | 0:34:51 | 0:34:57 | |
the public, it is right that where
these people are convicted by the | 0:34:57 | 0:35:01 | |
courts, they serve their time. She
has mentioned a specific case in her | 0:35:01 | 0:35:06 | |
constituency and what she perceives
to be the injustice, but I wouldn't | 0:35:06 | 0:35:09 | |
generalise from that specific case
to say that is why we have | 0:35:09 | 0:35:13 | |
overcrowding in our prisons.
Improving safety and reducing the | 0:35:13 | 0:35:18 | |
risk of serious incidents, serious
harm in youth custody is a priority | 0:35:18 | 0:35:24 | |
and we are committed to reforming
currents custodial provision. Given | 0:35:24 | 0:35:30 | |
no prison is safe for children and
over a third of the children | 0:35:30 | 0:35:35 | |
imprisoned have diagnosed of mental
health conditions, nearly 70% of the | 0:35:35 | 0:35:40 | |
children sent to prison reoffend
within a year of release. Does the | 0:35:40 | 0:35:44 | |
Minister believe it is time to find
an alternative to sending children | 0:35:44 | 0:35:49 | |
to prison? I recognise the rate of
69% is an acceptable. And that is | 0:35:49 | 0:35:57 | |
why I am bringing forward secure
schools, one in the north-west and | 0:35:57 | 0:36:04 | |
one in the South East of England. We
recognise we have a problem with | 0:36:04 | 0:36:10 | |
custodial 's, but with regards to
mental health, this is an issue. It | 0:36:10 | 0:36:15 | |
is deep-seated, we are dealing with
approximately 1000 individuals at | 0:36:15 | 0:36:20 | |
any one time been locked up. They
can often be deeply damaged and I | 0:36:20 | 0:36:25 | |
can assure the honourable lady I am
cognisant of that. I welcome the | 0:36:25 | 0:36:31 | |
idea of a secure school in the
north-west, it is the right | 0:36:31 | 0:36:34 | |
direction of travel. Will the
Minister give a guarantee to the | 0:36:34 | 0:36:37 | |
House and to the public that
staffing levels will ensure the | 0:36:37 | 0:36:41 | |
schools are safe, but also become
places where we can break any | 0:36:41 | 0:36:46 | |
reoffending cycle? I thank the
honourable gentleman for his | 0:36:46 | 0:36:50 | |
question. He is aware that in a part
of the world he used to represent as | 0:36:50 | 0:36:56 | |
the mayor is ahead in terms of
dealing with individuals in a more | 0:36:56 | 0:37:01 | |
holistic approach. Staffing is an
issue. We have brought forward I | 0:37:01 | 0:37:05 | |
youth custody officer role that will
start in 2018 and we will bring | 0:37:05 | 0:37:08 | |
forward 80 people to improve the
type of care these individuals can | 0:37:08 | 0:37:14 | |
offer. We are under no illusions
about the challenges. Secure | 0:37:14 | 0:37:20 | |
schools, the guidelines around them
in terms of how we procure them and | 0:37:20 | 0:37:24 | |
their staffing arrangements, is
going to be announced in the New | 0:37:24 | 0:37:27 | |
Year. Number 13, Mr Speaker. We are
taking action across government to | 0:37:27 | 0:37:38 | |
bring about a step change in
response to the sexual abuse and | 0:37:38 | 0:37:42 | |
exploitation of children including
the roll-out of examination of | 0:37:42 | 0:37:49 | |
vulnerable witnesses and that will
include victims to continue in the | 0:37:49 | 0:37:57 | |
autumn. It takes tremendous courage
for children to come forward such | 0:37:57 | 0:38:03 | |
cases and the process of giving
evidence is harrowing. They deserve | 0:38:03 | 0:38:07 | |
justice and when it doesn't happen
they are left deeply disillusioned | 0:38:07 | 0:38:10 | |
with the system. It is something I
have seen in my own constituency. | 0:38:10 | 0:38:15 | |
What further steps can the
government make to ensure justice is | 0:38:15 | 0:38:18 | |
done and can you look at the
criminal injuries compensation | 0:38:18 | 0:38:21 | |
scheme to ensure child abuse victims
are treated fairly? I thank my | 0:38:21 | 0:38:27 | |
honourable friend for his question.
It is important that the nature of | 0:38:27 | 0:38:31 | |
grooming can make abuse difficult to
detect, that is why we have | 0:38:31 | 0:38:41 | |
consulted with experts and charities
to produce a new guidance, which has | 0:38:41 | 0:38:44 | |
been published to ensure every
victim gets the compensation to | 0:38:44 | 0:38:48 | |
which they are entitled. Question
number 14. We are working to keep | 0:38:48 | 0:38:58 | |
our brave prison officers safe by
strengthening the front line. We | 0:38:58 | 0:39:03 | |
have 20,000 individual officers in
post. That is an increase of 1290 | 0:39:03 | 0:39:10 | |
since October last year in the
highest level since 2013. We are | 0:39:10 | 0:39:15 | |
giving prison officers the tools
they need to do their job, we have | 0:39:15 | 0:39:19 | |
invested in 5600 body worn cameras
to be worn in prison estates. In | 0:39:19 | 0:39:28 | |
Chelmsford prison the number of
attacks against staff rose to 120 | 0:39:28 | 0:39:32 | |
last year, but since then they have
recruited more staff and installed | 0:39:32 | 0:39:37 | |
mobile phone detectors and they are
rolling out a new digital | 0:39:37 | 0:39:40 | |
initiative, which since piloted,
attacks on prison officers have more | 0:39:40 | 0:39:47 | |
than half. Will the Minister join me
in welcoming this process to put | 0:39:47 | 0:39:51 | |
staff safety first. I certainly
welcome the progress and I would | 0:39:51 | 0:39:59 | |
like to visit Chelmsford prison, so
I make that offer to the honourable | 0:39:59 | 0:40:04 | |
member and also say we want to go
further. She will be aware we are | 0:40:04 | 0:40:09 | |
supporting the member for ronde's
Private members Bill on emergency | 0:40:09 | 0:40:13 | |
workers which will increase
penalties for assaults on prison | 0:40:13 | 0:40:16 | |
officers. Number 16 Mr Speaker. We
are making good progress in helping | 0:40:16 | 0:40:26 | |
prisoners progress to eventual
release. We have implemented a | 0:40:26 | 0:40:34 | |
measure such as psychology lead case
reviews and we have an additional | 0:40:34 | 0:40:41 | |
three regimes planning to come
online at the end of 2018. I thank | 0:40:41 | 0:40:47 | |
the Minister his response. The
justice committee heard on the 18th | 0:40:47 | 0:40:53 | |
of October that 760 released
prisoners have been recalled in the | 0:40:53 | 0:40:59 | |
last year, but 60% of those were
quickly rereleased. Does the | 0:40:59 | 0:41:03 | |
Minister agree with the chair of the
parole board that the threshold for | 0:41:03 | 0:41:07 | |
recall is too low and should be
reviewed so as to stop the revolving | 0:41:07 | 0:41:11 | |
door the prisoners who have already
long served their minimum tariff? I | 0:41:11 | 0:41:18 | |
thank the honourable lady for the
question. I don't agree the | 0:41:18 | 0:41:22 | |
threshold is too low. And where a
prisoner is recalled, it is not | 0:41:22 | 0:41:26 | |
because they were found hiding under
their mother's bed, it is often | 0:41:26 | 0:41:32 | |
because there is a clear causal link
to the behaviour exhibited at the | 0:41:32 | 0:41:37 | |
time of the index offence. Margie T
is to keep the public safe and where | 0:41:37 | 0:41:42 | |
there is any signal or any cause for
concern, it is right they are called | 0:41:42 | 0:41:47 | |
into custody. That said, the
National Probation Service is | 0:41:47 | 0:41:50 | |
working on a programme to help
prisoners when they are released | 0:41:50 | 0:41:54 | |
into the community, to help them
transition into the community and | 0:41:54 | 0:41:59 | |
reduce the incidence of recall, in a
way that protects the public but | 0:41:59 | 0:42:02 | |
allows them to rebuild their lives.
Number 17. | 0:42:02 | 0:42:11 | |
We are investing over a billion to
bring our courts into the | 0:42:11 | 0:42:16 | |
21st-century, to deliver swifter and
more effective justice. I am | 0:42:16 | 0:42:21 | |
grateful to the Minister for that
response. I wonder if you can Tammy | 0:42:21 | 0:42:25 | |
what can be done to ensure the court
room environment and the wider | 0:42:25 | 0:42:31 | |
environment helps to put victims and
witnesses at ease and support them | 0:42:31 | 0:42:35 | |
through the process of giving
evidence. She is absolutely right | 0:42:35 | 0:42:39 | |
that we need to reduce the amount of
stress and trauma for victims and | 0:42:39 | 0:42:43 | |
witnesses. We are doing a whole
range of things. Firstly, in | 0:42:43 | 0:42:48 | |
relation to victims and witnesses
waiting to give evidence, we are | 0:42:48 | 0:42:51 | |
having model waiting rooms. In the
court room itself we are rolling out | 0:42:51 | 0:43:00 | |
section 28 pre-recorded
cross-examination to crown courts | 0:43:00 | 0:43:02 | |
nationally for the before that we
will extend to victims of sexual | 0:43:02 | 0:43:07 | |
offences or modern slavery offences.
19, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, we | 0:43:07 | 0:43:18 | |
changed GLC contracts to better
reflect costs CRC 's work and | 0:43:18 | 0:43:25 | |
caring. Payments are still below
original forecasts. I am grateful | 0:43:25 | 0:43:31 | |
for that answer. Could the Secretary
of State, Lord Chancellor, publish | 0:43:31 | 0:43:34 | |
how much additional resource in
total he has given to the CRC | 0:43:34 | 0:43:41 | |
companies, which received the
additional resource, and what he | 0:43:41 | 0:43:44 | |
intends them to do with the product
they have been given? The answer to | 0:43:44 | 0:43:50 | |
the last question is, we expect them
to use that money to improve on the | 0:43:50 | 0:43:55 | |
delivery of services and to match
the best CRCs. We did not award the | 0:43:55 | 0:44:08 | |
CRCs a specific sound you did was
agree to alter contracts in such a | 0:44:08 | 0:44:13 | |
way we accepted a greater proportion
of their costs as fixed. The figure | 0:44:13 | 0:44:21 | |
of 277 million which is in public
circulation is an estimate of how | 0:44:21 | 0:44:25 | |
that adjustment might increase the
total contract value. But that is | 0:44:25 | 0:44:29 | |
based on certain assumptions about
volumes of payment by results. I | 0:44:29 | 0:44:35 | |
reiterate the payments will
certainly still be within the | 0:44:35 | 0:44:39 | |
forecast budget. We are deeply
obliged to the Secretary of State. | 0:44:39 | 0:44:44 | |
Stephen Morgan. Not here. Where are
these fellows? All is not ill with | 0:44:44 | 0:44:51 | |
the well because the honourable
member for Banbury is here. Victoria | 0:44:51 | 0:44:56 | |
Prentice. Number 23, please. Mr
Speaker, we outlined our plans to | 0:44:56 | 0:45:02 | |
reform youth justice in response to
Charlie Taylor's view last December | 0:45:02 | 0:45:05 | |
for that we have created a new youth
custody service responsible for the | 0:45:05 | 0:45:10 | |
day-to-day running of the youth
state and committed millions of | 0:45:10 | 0:45:15 | |
pounds to its reform. We heard this
Wanyama just a select committee that | 0:45:15 | 0:45:19 | |
a third of people on jobseeker's
allowance have criminal records. -- | 0:45:19 | 0:45:23 | |
this morning at a select committee.
We are starting to set an example | 0:45:23 | 0:45:35 | |
with the Ministry of Justice banning
the box and treating ex-offenders on | 0:45:35 | 0:45:40 | |
a par with any other applicant for a
job. That is widely known throughout | 0:45:40 | 0:45:45 | |
the public service and we look to
the private sector to match this | 0:45:45 | 0:45:48 | |
because we believe ex-offenders can
contribute a great deal to the | 0:45:48 | 0:45:53 | |
successful work of private sector
companies. Topical questions... | 0:45:53 | 0:45:58 | |
Topical question number one. Mr
Speaker, since the last justice | 0:45:58 | 0:46:04 | |
questions can it has been my
pleasure to welcome the appointment | 0:46:04 | 0:46:07 | |
of Lord Burnett as Chief Justice of
England and Wales and the historic | 0:46:07 | 0:46:14 | |
appointment of Baroness Hale to the
Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. | 0:46:14 | 0:46:18 | |
Where she leads, we hope that many
others will follow. I look forward | 0:46:18 | 0:46:22 | |
to working with them both to ensure
the digit Shri's essential role at | 0:46:22 | 0:46:26 | |
the heart of our nation continues to
be championed and respected. In | 0:46:26 | 0:46:34 | |
addition to the comments made by by
honourable friend a few moments ago | 0:46:34 | 0:46:37 | |
about new guidance for the
compensation authority, I can tell | 0:46:37 | 0:46:43 | |
the house I have asked my department
to give full consideration to wider | 0:46:43 | 0:46:48 | |
concerns that have been expressed
about the rules of that compensation | 0:46:48 | 0:46:51 | |
scheme as part of my department's
work to develop a strategy for | 0:46:51 | 0:46:57 | |
victims and in light of
recommendations we expect next year | 0:46:57 | 0:47:01 | |
about an Independent enquiry into
child abuse. After last week's | 0:47:01 | 0:47:05 | |
panorama about failings of
privatisation of probation, will be | 0:47:05 | 0:47:10 | |
Mr Holt any plans to limit
night-time supervision? What we will | 0:47:10 | 0:47:19 | |
look to do is make sure we get the
best value for money for taxpayers. | 0:47:19 | 0:47:26 | |
What is happening in probation
hostels is hiring people to cover | 0:47:26 | 0:47:31 | |
some night-time shifts. We must bear
in mind early for the tax payer but | 0:47:31 | 0:47:36 | |
also protecting the public. As my
honourable friend is aware, Kirkland | 0:47:36 | 0:47:42 | |
prison in my constituency is a
category D prison which helps | 0:47:42 | 0:47:46 | |
prisoners transition to life
outside. What measures have been | 0:47:46 | 0:47:51 | |
taken to help rehabilitate offenders
and improved ways of operating? | 0:47:51 | 0:47:57 | |
Empowering governors, giving them
control of the budget, holding them | 0:47:57 | 0:48:01 | |
accountable for training and
education outcomes is what we are | 0:48:01 | 0:48:03 | |
doing across the estate, including
four prisons like Kirk, in order for | 0:48:03 | 0:48:09 | |
them to deliver rehabilitation.
Thank you. The family courts are | 0:48:09 | 0:48:16 | |
full of people representing
themselves. The new president of the | 0:48:16 | 0:48:21 | |
Supreme Court, Lady Justice Hale,
described the 's legal aid reform as | 0:48:21 | 0:48:29 | |
false economy. Will this not reduce
the number of cases coming to court | 0:48:29 | 0:48:34 | |
as well as court time? Can you
guarantee the review will include | 0:48:34 | 0:48:38 | |
analysis of the cost on the rest of
the legal aid system because of the | 0:48:38 | 0:48:43 | |
Government's on this and of early
legal aid? I thank the honourable | 0:48:43 | 0:48:48 | |
lady for her intervention. In
relation to the family courts, it is | 0:48:48 | 0:48:52 | |
right that the need to try to reduce
the number of cases getting into the | 0:48:52 | 0:48:57 | |
courts in the first place, tickly
given the witnesses and those | 0:48:57 | 0:48:59 | |
involved are often traumatised Mork
by the process of going to court. -- | 0:48:59 | 0:49:07 | |
traumatised more. There is wide
scope for the issues she mentioned | 0:49:07 | 0:49:11 | |
be taken into account. I will not
pre-empt or prejudice what that will | 0:49:11 | 0:49:15 | |
look like right now. The
exceptionally high cost to | 0:49:15 | 0:49:22 | |
businesses of commercial litigation
is good for commercial lawyers. | 0:49:22 | 0:49:25 | |
Perhaps I should declare an
interest. It is not good for | 0:49:25 | 0:49:29 | |
businesses large and small full one
answer to that which has developed | 0:49:29 | 0:49:34 | |
recently is commercial litigation
financing. Will the Lord Chancellor | 0:49:34 | 0:49:37 | |
can to ethical and other concerns
around that, as by Lord souks | 0:49:37 | 0:49:44 | |
recently? We will be happy to look
into that and take account of any | 0:49:44 | 0:49:49 | |
representations my honourable friend
wishes to make. Why is the | 0:49:49 | 0:49:52 | |
Government planning to give security
companies and bailiffs power of | 0:49:52 | 0:49:55 | |
arrest which will be the result of
privatising the collection of court | 0:49:55 | 0:50:01 | |
fees? 15,000 people have signed a
petition opposing these plans | 0:50:01 | 0:50:05 | |
because they do not agree that
15,000 jobs or the safety of | 0:50:05 | 0:50:10 | |
vulnerable people should be put at
risk. These are not in fact new | 0:50:10 | 0:50:15 | |
powers. They have been in use for
many years across the country. They | 0:50:15 | 0:50:19 | |
applied to arrests relating to debt
and community penalty breaches and | 0:50:19 | 0:50:23 | |
must follow the issue of a warrant
of arrest from the criminal courts. | 0:50:23 | 0:50:27 | |
Any use of these powers is overseen
by Her Majesty's and tribunal | 0:50:27 | 0:50:32 | |
services. Following the triumph of
the Conservative manifesto at the | 0:50:32 | 0:50:39 | |
election, can I congratulate the
Lord Chancellor on finding another | 0:50:39 | 0:50:43 | |
half baked and unpopular policy to
put before the electorate? That | 0:50:43 | 0:50:49 | |
giving prisoners vote. Could he
acknowledge that no one is taking a | 0:50:49 | 0:50:53 | |
vote away from prisoners, they are
taken away from themselves? If | 0:50:53 | 0:50:57 | |
voting is so important bags they
would not have committed crimes in | 0:50:57 | 0:51:00 | |
the first place led to them being
sent to prison. I urge him to reject | 0:51:00 | 0:51:07 | |
this ridiculous policy which goes
down like a lead balloon to the | 0:51:07 | 0:51:11 | |
electorate. Mr Speaker, the
Government is preparing its position | 0:51:11 | 0:51:15 | |
ahead of the December meeting of the
committed ministers of the council | 0:51:15 | 0:51:18 | |
of Europe. Any changes to our
position we will announce to | 0:51:18 | 0:51:23 | |
Parliament in the usual way. Thank
you, Mr Speaker. Can the minister | 0:51:23 | 0:51:29 | |
please tell me what steps his
department is taking to insure the | 0:51:29 | 0:51:34 | |
funding of youth justice services in
places like Warwickshire which has | 0:51:34 | 0:51:37 | |
seen significant cuts in their
funding? We spend over £200 million | 0:51:37 | 0:51:44 | |
a year on youth justice. As I
outlined earlier, we spent 64 | 0:51:44 | 0:51:49 | |
million additional funds on the
custodial estate. We are conscious | 0:51:49 | 0:51:53 | |
of the difficulties within the
customer deal estate. It is also | 0:51:53 | 0:51:57 | |
within the community, which is why
have commissioned a report on the | 0:51:57 | 0:52:01 | |
value of sport to criminal justice,
particularly for young people. This | 0:52:01 | 0:52:04 | |
will be published in the New Year.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Tomorrow sees | 0:52:04 | 0:52:11 | |
the release of Mubarak Ali, a serial
child exploitation offender in | 0:52:11 | 0:52:18 | |
Telford. Please can the minister
confirm all that should be done has | 0:52:18 | 0:52:22 | |
been done to protect the public and
the victims concerned? To the best | 0:52:22 | 0:52:28 | |
of my knowledge that has been done.
Of course, Mr Ali is being released | 0:52:28 | 0:52:32 | |
in accordance with the law, having
served the term that was set out by | 0:52:32 | 0:52:38 | |
the judge in his case for the
purposes of punishment and | 0:52:38 | 0:52:43 | |
deterrence. Can I say to my
honourable friend is she and her | 0:52:43 | 0:52:47 | |
constituents have any concerns about
the circumstances of the release and | 0:52:47 | 0:52:51 | |
supervision arrangements that should
follow, I should ask her to bring | 0:52:51 | 0:52:55 | |
them to the attention of myself
without delay. Thank you. 61% of | 0:52:55 | 0:53:01 | |
women who leave prison on a sentence
of less than 12 months recommit | 0:53:01 | 0:53:05 | |
within the first year. My recent
Westminster Hall debate, the | 0:53:05 | 0:53:09 | |
minister made various committees
around new interventions and various | 0:53:09 | 0:53:12 | |
reviews to support women leading and
in prison. Could you make is they | 0:53:12 | 0:53:18 | |
bent on when this will be complete
and when there will be a better and | 0:53:18 | 0:53:23 | |
fuller programme to support women in
prison? The debate was a very good | 0:53:23 | 0:53:28 | |
debate and well attended was appears
aware I have committed to creating a | 0:53:28 | 0:53:34 | |
women's strategy. When this is in
place it will be published. It will | 0:53:34 | 0:53:41 | |
be about how we can do more in the
community so we can prevent knocking | 0:53:41 | 0:53:44 | |
up women. Can I invite the minister
to join me in saying to our | 0:53:44 | 0:53:54 | |
honourable friend that most people
imprisoned never voted? When they | 0:53:54 | 0:53:59 | |
come out they are unlikely to vote.
By making it compulsory they are | 0:53:59 | 0:54:03 | |
more likely to think about other
people and not just themselves. I | 0:54:03 | 0:54:08 | |
think we hope that all prisoners,
when they come to be released from | 0:54:08 | 0:54:11 | |
prison, will be fully integrated in
society and lead a law-abiding life | 0:54:11 | 0:54:17 | |
and a life of constructive
citizenship. As I said a few moments | 0:54:17 | 0:54:21 | |
ago, the Government will make clear
its approach to a forthcoming | 0:54:21 | 0:54:26 | |
committee of ministers meeting in an
announcement to Parliament in the | 0:54:26 | 0:54:30 | |
usual fashion. Thank you, Mr
Speaker. 54,000 women lose jobs each | 0:54:30 | 0:54:41 | |
year due to pregnancy and maternity
discrimination. The Secretary of | 0:54:41 | 0:54:43 | |
State might remember the chaos of
the early weeks caring for a | 0:54:43 | 0:54:45 | |
newborn. The time limit for bringing
an employment tribunal claim is | 0:54:45 | 0:54:47 | |
three months will he look at the
issue as recommended by the Justice | 0:54:47 | 0:54:51 | |
select Mitty and the equality and
rights commission and extend the | 0:54:51 | 0:54:56 | |
time limit for claims relating to
discrimination? I thank the | 0:54:56 | 0:55:01 | |
honourable lady. It is an important
and sensitive area. I have spoken to | 0:55:01 | 0:55:06 | |
the honourable lady, the chair of
the select committee. Can she send | 0:55:06 | 0:55:09 | |
the evidence which would show that
putting it back to six months rather | 0:55:09 | 0:55:13 | |
than three months would make a
difference? Some of the same | 0:55:13 | 0:55:18 | |
considerations would also apply to
six months. What a rich vein! Mr | 0:55:18 | 0:55:26 | |
Dominic Grieve. Thank you, Mr
Speaker. May I welcomed the news | 0:55:26 | 0:55:32 | |
that the Government is considering
again prisoners rights to vote. I | 0:55:32 | 0:55:38 | |
think my right honourable friend may
find that this is a matter where, in | 0:55:38 | 0:55:42 | |
fact, public opinion has shifted and
the mood in this House has shifted | 0:55:42 | 0:55:47 | |
very much as well. It is high time
we remedied something which places | 0:55:47 | 0:55:51 | |
us in a very small category of
countries. Most countries manage to | 0:55:51 | 0:55:55 | |
allow prisoners to vote, or
certainly those centres to short | 0:55:55 | 0:56:00 | |
sentences of imprisonment without
the world coming to an end for that | 0:56:00 | 0:56:04 | |
it is an important tool in civic
participation and rehabilitation. My | 0:56:04 | 0:56:09 | |
honourable friend expresses a review
I know he has held for a long time | 0:56:09 | 0:56:15 | |
and be very clear about. I am sure
he will be following this debate | 0:56:15 | 0:56:20 | |
closely when the Government has come
to its view on our approach to the | 0:56:20 | 0:56:24 | |
meeting we will share that with
Parliament. The Government has new | 0:56:24 | 0:56:31 | |
proposals to limit legal costs and
damages recovered in clinical | 0:56:31 | 0:56:36 | |
negligence cases. Patient groups are
extremely concerned this will mean | 0:56:36 | 0:56:42 | |
serious cases involving older
people, child death and stillbirth | 0:56:42 | 0:56:46 | |
will be impossible to pursue. Will
the minister agreed to meet with me | 0:56:46 | 0:56:50 | |
and these groups to hear their
concerns and sort the proposals out? | 0:56:50 | 0:56:57 | |
I think that the matter which the
honourable lady has mentioned, | 0:56:57 | 0:57:01 | |
serious and sensitive as it
undoubtedly is, does fall in large | 0:57:01 | 0:57:06 | |
part to the Department of Health. I
will be happy for either myself or | 0:57:06 | 0:57:11 | |
the Minister of State to discuss
this further with her. | 0:57:11 | 0:57:14 | |
Following my ten minute rule Bill in
March including robust enforcement | 0:57:14 | 0:57:22 | |
of child arrangement orders, opening
up the family courts and updating | 0:57:22 | 0:57:30 | |
divorce laws, what progress has the
government made? Can I thank the | 0:57:30 | 0:57:37 | |
honourable lady for her proposals
and thought she has put into it. In | 0:57:37 | 0:57:41 | |
relations since 2011, there are
issues we are working through with | 0:57:41 | 0:57:49 | |
the Department for Education. In
relation to private law we are | 0:57:49 | 0:57:52 | |
committed to facilitating this
settling more family disputes to | 0:57:52 | 0:57:58 | |
avoid victims of having to go
through the trauma of court | 0:57:58 | 0:58:01 | |
proceedings. Following our meeting
with the Minister, last week I | 0:58:01 | 0:58:10 | |
received a letter from the court
Minister saying Sunderland's court | 0:58:10 | 0:58:14 | |
buildings were below what is
expected. The court is over 100 | 0:58:14 | 0:58:18 | |
years old, damp with poor access
ability and is inadequate for | 0:58:18 | 0:58:22 | |
victims and staff alike. Will the
Minister visit Sunderland, together | 0:58:22 | 0:58:26 | |
with the honourable member for
Sunderland Central and explain to | 0:58:26 | 0:58:32 | |
the people of Sunderland why they
don't deserve better from his | 0:58:32 | 0:58:37 | |
government. I welcome the
opportunity to sit down with her and | 0:58:37 | 0:58:40 | |
the other honourable lady to look at
the issue. We are going to make sure | 0:58:40 | 0:58:44 | |
the refurbishment is done as soon as
is practical. What we want to make | 0:58:44 | 0:58:50 | |
sure is a long-term, for her
constituency and across the country, | 0:58:50 | 0:58:54 | |
we have the courts in the right
places with the right technology and | 0:58:54 | 0:58:57 | |
refurbishment to make sure they get
the best access for justice. The | 0:58:57 | 0:59:04 | |
reputation of our legal system
depends on our respect for our | 0:59:04 | 0:59:08 | |
international obligations. And
therefore, considering the response | 0:59:08 | 0:59:11 | |
in advance of the committee of
ministers, will my right honourable | 0:59:11 | 0:59:16 | |
friend, bear in mind that respecting
the judgments of the European Court | 0:59:16 | 0:59:20 | |
of Justice is a better guy for this
country's reputation than the | 0:59:20 | 0:59:26 | |
amateur is prudence from the dog and
duck? Mr Speaker, the rule of law is | 0:59:26 | 0:59:34 | |
something that is at the heart of
this country's constitutional | 0:59:34 | 0:59:39 | |
conditions. It is expressed in the
oath that I and every Lord | 0:59:39 | 0:59:44 | |
Chancellor has to take. And my
honourable friend will also recall | 0:59:44 | 0:59:47 | |
that the manifesto on which he, I
and other colleagues stood for a | 0:59:47 | 0:59:56 | |
while, remain party to the European
Court of Human Rights for the | 0:59:56 | 1:00:01 | |
remainder of this Parliament. The
recently published commission report | 1:00:01 | 1:00:06 | |
has highlighted a number of serious
issues relating to access to | 1:00:06 | 1:00:10 | |
justice, including representation at
inquests. In light of tragic events | 1:00:10 | 1:00:15 | |
such as Grenfell Tower and
Hillsborough, can the Minister | 1:00:15 | 1:00:19 | |
commit to providing legal aid is an
inquest in all cases when the state | 1:00:19 | 1:00:22 | |
is funding one or more of the other
parties? Can I thank the honourable | 1:00:22 | 1:00:27 | |
lady for her question on this
salient point. Legal aid remains | 1:00:27 | 1:00:32 | |
available through the exceptional
case funding scheme. And while those | 1:00:32 | 1:00:37 | |
decisions are decided independently,
I can reassure her that over half of | 1:00:37 | 1:00:42 | |
the applications in inquest cases
where in deed granted. Full-bodied | 1:00:42 | 1:00:49 | |
drug scanners to detect drugs
concealed within the person are | 1:00:49 | 1:00:54 | |
successfully used across America.
The Ministry of Justice trialed one, | 1:00:54 | 1:00:57 | |
has there been an evaluation, will
we see more and could they be used | 1:00:57 | 1:01:00 | |
on a mobile basis? As my right
honourable friend the Secretary of | 1:01:00 | 1:01:08 | |
State Stead, one of these was
trialed in Wandsworth prison. We are | 1:01:08 | 1:01:11 | |
looking at doing it across the
entire state. There has been an | 1:01:11 | 1:01:16 | |
evaluation but full body scanners
are not the only way to combat drugs | 1:01:16 | 1:01:19 | |
getting into prisons. Using
intelligence, going after organised | 1:01:19 | 1:01:23 | |
crime and working with law
enforcement also ways to deal with | 1:01:23 | 1:01:26 | |
this. We will use every measure
possible to make sure we stop the | 1:01:26 | 1:01:30 | |
flow of the academic of drugs in our
prisons. The Minister will be aware | 1:01:30 | 1:01:36 | |
there is a covenant on the land on
the industrial park in my | 1:01:36 | 1:01:41 | |
constituency where he wants to build
a prison. It states the land should | 1:01:41 | 1:01:44 | |
not be used other than as an
industrial park and should not be | 1:01:44 | 1:01:48 | |
used for any offensive noisy,
dangerously or trade business, | 1:01:48 | 1:01:53 | |
manufacture or occupation for any
purpose or any manner that may be a | 1:01:53 | 1:01:56 | |
new city to the agency of the
occupiers of neighbouring or | 1:01:56 | 1:02:00 | |
adjacent premises. Will the Minister
agree the covenant is the final nail | 1:02:00 | 1:02:03 | |
in the coffin of the Ministry's plan
to build a prison on this industrial | 1:02:03 | 1:02:08 | |
park? The honourable member is
incredibly persistent in fighting | 1:02:08 | 1:02:14 | |
for his constituents. Of course,
before moving ahead with any | 1:02:14 | 1:02:19 | |
building projects, we will do all
the necessary legal searches and | 1:02:19 | 1:02:24 | |
local authority searches. If those
were to turn up any objections, we | 1:02:24 | 1:02:28 | |
would take those into account
accordingly. With the prison | 1:02:28 | 1:02:33 | |
population of over 80,000, prisons
are bursting at the seams. Yet, | 1:02:33 | 1:02:37 | |
according to the Ministry of Justice
own figures, last year we | 1:02:37 | 1:02:41 | |
transferred a pathetic 110 foreign
national prisoners to prison in | 1:02:41 | 1:02:46 | |
their own prison and this ear, the
number is 56. Surely, we can do | 1:02:46 | 1:02:50 | |
better than that? I think the
honourable member is referring to | 1:02:50 | 1:02:56 | |
the numbers transferred under the
prisoner transfer agreement. In | 1:02:56 | 1:02:59 | |
terms of the number of prisoners
deported from this country overall, | 1:02:59 | 1:03:03 | |
last year was a record high. We
continue to work consistently with | 1:03:03 | 1:03:09 | |
foreign governments. There is an
interministerial group linking | 1:03:09 | 1:03:13 | |
differed, the Foreign Office, the
Ministry of Justice but also the | 1:03:13 | 1:03:16 | |
Home Office, to make sure we iron
out the issues that can be | 1:03:16 | 1:03:21 | |
impediment to transferring prisoners
to serve their sentence abroad. I | 1:03:21 | 1:03:23 | |
would | 1:03:23 | 1:03:25 |