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Juvenile Prisoners

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training in (a) child protection and (b) child development is given to governors of juvenile prisons; and which governors of juvenile prisons have qualifications in childcare. [172351]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 11 May 2004]: Appropriate Child protection training has been developed specifically for staff working with juveniles. A child protection 'train the trainer' course was rolled out across the juvenile estate in 2002, and since then all staff have had access to child protection training.

More recently, the Prison Service and the Youth Justice Board have worked together to develop and deliver appropriate training for all staff working with juveniles. The new Juvenile Awareness Staff Programme (JASP) will be mandatory for new staff, and will be made available to existing staff as part of a rolling three year programme. JASP includes child protection training as well as training in the nature of adolescence.

Data on qualifications held by Governors is not collected centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when a separate system for transporting juvenile prisoners will be established. [172353]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 11 May 2004]: Escort services are provided by private companies under contract to the Youth Justice Board (for those sent to
 
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secure training centres or local authority secure children's homes (LASCHs)) and the Prison Service (for those sent to Young Offender Institutions).

The secure training centre/LASCH escort service is exclusively for juveniles and is managed by Group 4 (Rebound) Security Services.

New transport arrangements for journeys to and from young offender institutions will come into effect with new Prison Escort Custody Service (PECS) contracts on 29 August 2004. Where cellular vehicles are used, juveniles will not be carried in the same vehicle as adult prisoners.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of self-injury and attempted suicide by juveniles have occurred in the segregation unit at Stoke Heath. [172355]

Paul Goggins [holding answer 11 May 2004]: There were seven reported incidents of self-harm in the Segregation Unit at Stoke Heath young offender institution involving juveniles during 2003, and one so far reported in 2004.

A new form for reporting self-harm was introduced across the prison estate in December 2002. This has improved the consistency with which self-harm incidents are reported and, by broadening the range of questions that are asked, improved the detail and quality of the information collected. Prior to 2003, data on the location in the prison where the self-harm incident occurred were not collated centrally.

Suicidal intent is not easy to establish. The reasons why people self-injure are highly complex, and it is often difficult to distinguish between acts of self-harm that were attempts at ending life, and those which occurred for other reasons. It is not possible, therefore, for the Prison Service to extrapolate from the data recording incidents of self-harm those acts that may have been attempts at suicide.

A number of intervention strategies have been introduced into prisons, young offender and juvenile establishments for people who self-harm. These include counselling, support groups, and specialised psychological interventions. While evaluation of these interventions is, at present, very limited, evidence from research in non-prison settings suggests that male and female adolescents who self-harm repeatedly may benefit from group therapy. A network of establishments has been set up to develop interventions, facilitate evaluation and share good practice. Guidance to staff on managing people who self-harm has also been circulated to establishments.

Akezhan Kazhegeldin

Mr. Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Mr. Akezhan Kazhegeldin, the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, receives any protection from the British Government. [176352]

Mr. Blunkett: It has been the longstanding policy of the Government not to comment on such matters of security, including the identity of who may or may not receive protection in the United Kingdom.
 
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National Offender Management Scheme

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether representatives from the voluntary sector have been asked to join the National Offender Management Service Advisory Board. [176676]

Paul Goggins: We are currently looking to identify a representative from the voluntary sector to join the National Offender Management Board.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements are being made for Pathfinder Projects under the National Offender Management Service structure; and if he will make a statement. [176678]

Paul Goggins: Discussions with a number of regions are under way. Final decisions have yet to be taken.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role there will be for local probation boards in the event of the creation of a National Offender Management Service. [171412]

Paul Goggins: We are proposing to replace the existing probation boards with 10 regional management boards, in line with the nine English regions and Wales. They will have responsibility for commissioning offender management and employing offender management staff. The proposed structure is outlined in the document, "National Offender Management Service—Organisational Design", copies of which are available in the House Library.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what processes he will put in place to continue to allow the Probation Service to have an active relationship with victims of crime in the event of the service's inclusion within the National Offender Management Service. [171414]

Paul Goggins: The National Offender Management Service will have a key role to play in providing services to victims. We will ensure that the work currently undertaken by Probation Officers in this area is maintained.

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the decision to advertise the jobs of (a) National Offender Manager and (b) 10 regional offender managers (England and Wales) in advance of agreement to set up the National Offender Management Service. [171415]

Paul Goggins: The Government are committed to the creation of the National Offender Management Service and it is crucial that key staff are recruited in order to establish the service.

Mr. Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Gateway Zero report will be published for the National Offender Management Service. [175828]

Paul Goggins: The Gateway Zero for the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) programme is taking place from 15 to 21 July. The final report will be sent to the Chief Executive of NOMS once it is completed. In keeping with normal practice it is not intended to publish the report.
 
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Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with (a) probation officers and (b) their representatives regarding the provision of their pensions under the National Offender Management Service; and if he will make a statement. [176316]

Paul Goggins: No discussions have taken place so far with probation officers or their representatives regarding the specific issue of the provision of their pensions. We are committed to on-going consultation with staff and unions on the full range of issues connected with the implementation of the National Offender Management Service.

Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many consultants have been employed by the National Offender Management Service Change Team. [172410]

Paul Goggins: Three individuals from consultancy firms, with specialist experience in change management, have been employed within the implementation team for a nine-month period to assist in initiating the change programme.

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