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23 Jun 2003 : Column 604W—continued
Prison Education
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of education hours was cancelled at prisons in England and Wales other than Holloway between February 2002 and January 2003; and if he will make a statement. [117169]
Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Member to the reply my hon. Friend, the Member for Leeds, Central (Hilary Benn) gave on 8 May 2003, Official Report, column 824W.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his assessment is of the likely impact of the new investment plan for offenders' education on the percentage of education hours (a) planned and (b) completed at Holloway prison over the next 12 months. [117170]
Paul Goggins: The Prison Service's investment plan gives priority to the needs of young offenders and to female prisoners. Holloway will receive an additional £132,000 for this financial year, enabling it to increase the volume of teaching hours by 50 per cent. from September 2003. The prison's materials and accreditation budget will also increase in proportion—by around £12,000.
The Prison Service is also investing in new Heads of Learning and Skills posts in prison establishments from September 2003. In the longer term this investment—together with the new education and training contracts taking effect from next year—should support increased coherence, flexibility and efficiency of delivery so that more of what is planned is realised.
Mr. Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his assessment is of the likely impact of the new investment plan for offenders' education on the percentage of education hours (a) planned and (b) completed at Holloway prison over the next 12 months. [117170]
Paul Goggins: The Prison Service's investment plan gives priority to the needs of young offenders and to female prisoners. Holloway will receive an additional £132,000 for this financial year, enabling it to increase the volume of teaching hours by 50 per cent.
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from September 2003. The prison's materials and accreditation budget will also increase in proportion—by around £12,000.
The Prison Service is also investing in new Heads of Learning and Skills posts in prison establishments from September 2003. In the longer term this investment—together with the new education and training contracts taking effect from next year—should support increased coherence, flexibility and efficiency of delivery so that more of what is planned is realised.
Probation/Prison Service IT Systems
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether an ergonomic assessment has been completed in relation to E-OASys for the probation and prison services; and if he will make a statement. [118793]
Paul Goggins: The National Probation Service's OASys IT system meets an ergonomic standard developed and agreed last year for use on another probation system that uses the same technology. In addition, the OASys system is subject to an ongoing process of ergonomic assessment and improvement as the system develops. A formal written assessment will be undertaken later this year.
The Prison Service OASys IT system conforms to Prison Service ergonomic standards. An ergonomic assessment is under way ready for deployment of the live system later this month.
Remand Prisoners
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in the last five years have spent (a) over six months, (b) over 12 months, (c) over 18 months and (d) over two years in prison on remand. [118783]
Paul Goggins: The numbers of prisoners in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales in each of the last five years who have spent (a) more than six months up to and including 12 months, (b) more than 12 months up to and including 18 months, (c) more than 18 months up to and including two years and (d) more than two years on remand are given in the table.
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Television Licences
Mr. Viggers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women are in prison for non-payment of their television licence; and what proportion that represents of the male and female prison population. [118283]
Paul Goggins [holding answer 11 June 2003]: On 31 March 2003, there was one man and no women in Prison Service establishments in England and Wales for defaulting on the payment of a fine for using a television without a licence. This represents 0.001 per cent. of the male prison population in England and Wales.
Victim Support
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding was allocated to the victim support programme in each of the last three years; what the projected funding is for the next three years; and if he will make a statement. [119080]
Paul Goggins: The total Home Office grant to the organisation Victim Support was £18.55 million in 2000–01, £25.05 million in 2001–02 and £29.3 million in 2002–03. The grant in the current financial year will be £30 million. Current plans envisage the grant being maintained at that level in 2004–05 and 2005–06.
Vulnerable Witnesses
Mr. Best: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has taken to make it easier for vulnerable witnesses to give evidence in court; and if he will make a statement. [118775]
Paul Goggins: In July 2002 we started a phased implementation of special measures to assist vulnerable or intimidated witnesses to give their best evidence. Vulnerable witness—who are defined by section 16 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 as being persons (not the accused) who are aged under 17 years or whose quality of evidence would be diminished by reasons of a mental disorder, or impairment of intelligence and social functioning, or a physical condition or disorder—can now apply for the following special measures in the Crown Court:
- Screens—to ensure that the witness does not see the defendant;
Live TV link—allowing a witness to give evidence from outside the court;
Clearing the court so that evidence can be given in private;
Removal of wigs and gowns in court;
Video recorded evidence in chief—allowing an interview with the witness, which has been video recorded before the trial, to be shown as the witness's evidence in chief; and
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Two of the special measures—video recorded pre-trial cross-examination and examination of the witness through an intermediary—are novel and complex and will be the subject of pilot projects before they are introduced nationally. Preparations are being made for intermediary pilots to begin later this year. A scoping study on options for piloting video recorded pre-trial cross-examination will be commissioned shortly.
Women's Justice Board
Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to set up a national Women's Justice Board. [119444]
Paul Goggins [holding answer 16 June 2003]: We have no plans to establish a separate Board with specific responsibility for women. The Correctional Services Board was established last year to set the overarching strategy for the correctional services and to identify key strategic issues. Within its remit the Board considers how correctional services could be improved to meet the needs of particular groups. The Board's focus so far has been on services for 18 to 20-year olds, but with a view to expanding it to include other groups, which could include women.
We also have the national Criminal Justice Board, with ministers and senior representatives (including agency chiefs) from across the criminal justice system (CJS), who support the delivery of the CJS Public Service Agreement targets on the justice gap and confidence. The Board has specific responsibility for combating inequality and discrimination within the CJS.
The Government are also responding to the need to improve services and provision specifically for women in the criminal justice system, through the Women's Offending Reduction Programme. This promotes gender consideration in the delivery of services, programmes and other interventions and encourages departments and agencies to work together to tackle the factors that affect women's offending.
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