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21 July 2009 : Column 1387W—continued
Parole
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) male and (b) female prisoners in each prison who were eligible for parole had been sitting (i) under a month, (ii) between one and three months, (iii) between three and six months and (iv) over six months for a parole hearing on the latest date for which figures are available. [288425]
Bridget Prentice: As at 30 June 2009, the number of indeterminate sentenced prisoners referred to the Parole Board where the target for a parole hearing has passed are as follows:
(i) 223 under a month;
(ii) 451 between one and three months;
(iii) 213 between three and six months; and
(iv) 192 over six months.
A further 95 cases have had hearing dates cancelled or deferred and will need new hearing dates arranged.
In relation to determinate sentence prisoners, the Parole Board has no backlog of cases awaiting parole consideration.
To provide figures broken down by gender and prison could be done only at a disproportionate cost.
Political Parties and Elections Bill
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what timetable he anticipates for the commencement of each substantive element of the Political Parties and Elections Bill following Royal Ascent. [287361]
Mr. Straw: The commencement of the provisions of the Political Parties and Elections Bill, which I introduced to this House on 17 July 2008, will depend on its progress through its final stages in Parliament and the date upon which it receives Royal Assent.
Provisions which are proposed to commence automatically on Royal Assent are listed under clause 41(3). The remaining provisions shall be commenced by order at a time to be determined by me.
As I made clear in the debates at Commons' Report stage on 9 February 2009, the provision in clause 20[1][1] restricting pre-candidacy election expenses will not be commenced until restrictions on the use of the communications allowance have been agreed by the House: "the two matters were linked-one depends on the other" (9 February 2009, Official Report, columns 1221-23). As my hon. Friend, the Deputy Leader of the House (Barbara Keeley), made clear in a written answer to the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr. Maude) on 20 July 2009, Official Report, column 800W, the Leader of the House hopes to bring forward the necessary amendments shortly after the summer adjournment.
Prisoner Escapes: Sudbury Prison
Mr. McLoughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners have absconded from Sudbury Prison in the last 18 months. [286412]
Maria Eagle:
Absconds occur where a prisoner absents himself from prison custody without lawful authority and without overcoming physical security barriers or
restraints, conditions typically found in open prisons. HMP Sudbury is an adult male, open prison. 50 prisoners absconded from Sudbury prison in the period 1 October 2007 to 31 March 2009. This compares with 106 absconds for the 18-month period prior to that (1 April 2006 to 30 September 2007). The rate of absconding across England and Wales continues to fall and the number of absconds are presently at their lowest level since centralised reporting of this type of incident began in 1995.
These figures have been drawn from administrative data systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system.
Figures on absconds and a range of other prison performance statistics are available at:
Prisoner Release
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what powers he has to reject the recommendation of the Parole Board on the release of a prisoner; and what criteria he uses in deciding whether to reject such a recommendation; [285748]
(2) what recommendation the Parole Board made to him in respect of the release of Ronald Biggs following its recent deliberations; [286125]
(3) what advice he received from officials in his Department in respect of the release of Ronald Biggs following the recent recommendation of the Parole Board; [286126]
(4) on how many occasions since 1 January 2001 the relevant Minister has not agreed with the recommendation of the Parole Board to release an individual prisoner; [286127]
(5) on how many occasions the Parole Board recommended the release of a prisoner in (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009; [286128]
(6) on how many occasions during (a) 2007, (b) 2008 and (c) 2009 officials of his Department endorsed Parole Board decisions to release individual prisoners. [286129]
Mr. Straw: Section 35(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991, in conjunction with the Parole Board (Transfer of Functions) Order 1998, provides for the Secretary of State to determine whether prisoners serving a determinate sentence of 15 years or more, and who are subject to the release provisions of that Act, should be released on parole, subject to a positive recommendation for early release from the Parole Board. The factors considered when deciding whether or not to accept a recommendation from the Board are set out in directions given by the Secretary of State to the Board. The primary factor is the risk to the public of a further offence being committed at a time when the prisoner would otherwise be in prison and whether any such risk is acceptable.
On 15 June 2009 the Parole Board recommended that Ronald Biggs should be released on parole licence.
To release the advice given to Ministers by officials about the release of Mr. Biggs would be likely to prejudice the provision of full and frank advice to Ministers in future and I am therefore not making this advice public.
The number of prisoners' cases where a recommendation for early release from the Parole Board was turned down in the period 2004-09 is given in the following table. All the cases were those of prisoners serving determinate sentences of 15 years or more and subject to the release provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1991. Figures for years prior to those provided are not held centrally and would require a manual trawl of available data. To do so would incur a disproportionate cost.
| Number of prisoners | |
The number of cases where the Parole Board made a recommendation for release in the period 2007-09 is given in the following table. All the cases were those of prisoners serving determinate sentences of 15 years or more and subject to the release provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.
| Number of prisoners | |
These figures have been drawn from internal records and may be subject to inaccuracies due to data inputting errors.
The number of cases where officials, on behalf of the Secretary of State and without formally seeking ministerial approval, endorsed Parole Board recommendations for the release of prisoners on parole for the period 2007-09 is given in the following table. All the cases were those of prisoners serving determinate sentences of 15 years or more and subject to the release provisions of the Criminal Justice Act 1991.
| Number of prisoners | |
These figures have been drawn from internal records possibly subject to data inputting errors.
Prisoners: Human Rights
Mr. Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much the Government has paid to prisoners as a consequence of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights on cases relating to parole and release of prisoners in the last five years; and if he will make a statement; [277179]
(2) how many occasions prisoners have been released from prison on a date changed as a result of a European Court of Human Rights judgment in the last five years. [277180]
Mr. Straw:
Compensation paid to prisoners is recorded centrally against the main type of allegation recorded in the claim for compensation. Whether the claim followed
as a consequence of a European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruling and whether a prisoner was released on a date changed as a consequence of the ruling is not recorded centrally. To establish how many prisoners have been paid compensation over the last five years as a consequence of judgments handed down by the ECtHR would involve interrogating over 3,000 individual litigation files.
Prisoners: Pregnant Women
Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many pregnant women there were in prisons in England and Wales in each of the last five years. [287371]
Maria Eagle: As a result of configuration problems experienced with the database used to record information on the number of pregnant women that were in prisons in England and Wales, this information can not be provided at present.
A review of the systems used to record these data is being undertaken to ensure effective processes for data collection and retention are in place. Every effort will be made to consolidate historical data and I will write to the hon. Member when this work is complete to provide all the information that is available in response to her question.
Prisoners: Rehabilitation
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many prisoners serving indeterminate sentences for public protection have been offered places on courses promoting their rehabilitation in the most recent period for which figures are available; [285302]
(2) how many prisoners serving indeterminate sentences for public protection have completed courses promoting their rehabilitation in the latest period for which figures are available; [285303]
(3) when he expects the National Offender Management Service review of indeterminate sentences for public protection intervention needs to be complete. [285305]
Mr. Straw: Information on how many prisoners have been offered places on courses promoting their rehabilitation is not centrally recorded, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by checking the files of the prisoners concerned.
At the end of June 2009, 3,189 prisoners serving indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPPS) had completed at least one accredited offending behaviour or drug treatment programme in custody. In addition, prisoners may have completed other activities such as training, education, work, non-accredited courses, specialist support or resettlement work which also have a significant part to play in promoting rehabilitation. This information is not centrally recorded.
The programme of work to review the intervention needs of IPPS should be completed in the next 18 months. Much work has already been completed but it now needs to be integrated into a broader programme of work covering the intervention needs of all offenders, the range of programmes, and the resources to deliver them.
Prisoners: Suicide
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners serving indeterminate sentences for public protection have committed suicide since such sentences were introduced. [285304]
Maria Eagle: Any death in prison custody is a tragic event. The Government, Ministry of Justice and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is committed to learning from such events and reducing the number of self-inflicted deaths in prison custody. NOMS has a broad, integrated and evidence-based prisoner suicide prevention and self-harm management strategy that seeks to reduce the distress of all those in prison. This encompasses a wide spectrum of prison and Department of Health work around such issues as mental health, substance misuse and resettlement. Any prisoner identified as at risk of suicide or self-harm is cared for using the Assessment, Care in Custody and Teamwork (ACCT) procedures. ACCT is the prisoner-centred flexible care-planning system introduced across the prisons estate in partnership with the Department of Health during 2005-07.
Indeterminate sentences for public protection (IPP) were introduced in 2005. Prisoners serving such sentences account for 6 per cent. of all prisoners. There have been a total of 12 self-inflicted deaths involving prisoners with IPP status. These numbers are detailed in the following table.
| Self-inflicted deaths involving prisoners on indeterminate sentences for public protection sentences | |
| (1) 2009 figures cover January to June only. | |
Prisons: Smuggling
Mr. Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) prison officers, (b) staff in governor grades and (c) other staff employed in prisons and young offender institutions have been convicted of offences involving the taking of (i) drugs and (ii) mobile telephones into such establishments in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [288862]
Maria Eagle: All Prison Service staff are expected to meet high standards of professional and personal conduct. Allegations of staff misconduct, which are potentially criminal in nature, are referred to the police for investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution.
In order to provide the detailed information requested, we would need to contact all public sector Prison Service establishments, ask them to check their local records for the period required and ask them to submit this information to headquarters so that the central records can be updated. This would incur disproportionate cost.
Public Opinion: Ministry of Justice
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was spent by his Department on (a) focus groups and (b) opinion polling in 2008-09. [279240]
Mr. Straw: The information requested on expenditure is not held centrally, however a search of local records has identified a number of projects undertaken in the 2008-09 financial year. Based on these returns the Ministry of Justice Department (not including NDPBs) spent around £647,000 including VAT on focus groups, and £247,000 including VAT on opinion polls.
Note:
The figures given are based on local returns and do not separately identify the elements of projects that were specifically focus groups or opinion polls This figure does not include wider market and opinion research that extends beyond opinion polling and focus groups.
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