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2 Nov 2009 : Column 738W—continued
Approving the JAC's strategic objectives and targets together with the policy and performance framework in which the JAC will operate;
Approving the amount of grant in aid that the JAC receives;
Laying the JAC's Annual Report before Parliament and;
Considering and making decisions on JAC selections for judicial appointment.
A copy of the Framework Document can be found on the Commission's website at:
I meet Baroness Prashar, Chairman of the Commission, and my senior officials from time to time to discuss the work of the Judicial Appointments Commission.
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many times he has met the Chair of the Judicial Appointments Commission in each of the last three years. [296114]
Mr. Straw: I met the chairman four times in 2007, thrice in 2008, and thrice to date in 2009.
Judiciary
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what percentage mark is needed to pass the written tests which are part of the application process for new judicial posts; and what the pass rate was for people who sat tests in each of the last three years. [296112]
Mr. Straw: The Qualifying Test is designed as a sift mechanism to objectively identify a shortlist of candidates to be called to the selection day. There is no 'pass mark' as such. The number of candidates to be invited to the selection day is determined by reference to the number of posts available. It is usual practice to invite to interview a ratio of between two to three candidates per post with the highest-scoring candidates making up the number that proceed to the selection day stage.
National Archives: Finance
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what financial governance arrangements have been in place at the National Archives for the last three years; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of such arrangements. [297343]
Mr. Wills: For the last three years, The National Archives has been subject to the Government Resources and Accounts Act 2000. This requires The National Archives to prepare resource accounts for each financial year, in conformity with an HM Treasury direction, detailing the resources acquired, held, or disposed of during the year, and the use of resources by The National Archives during the year. The resource accounts are prepared on an accruals basis and must give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of The National Archives, the net resource outturn, resources applied to objectives, recognised gains and losses and cash flows for the financial year.
Cash requirements are forecast on a monthly basis, in advance, and The National Archives liaises with HM Treasury to enable these funds to be made available through the Office of HM Paymaster General (OPG), which is The National Archives' main banking facility. Management information is reported to the Executive Team monthly and all budget holders are subjected to at least a quarterly review of all of their costs and revenue.
HM Treasury has appointed Natalie Ceeney, Chief Executive and the Permanent Head of the Department, as Accounting Officer of The National Archives with responsibility for preparing The National Archives' accounts and for transmitting them to the Comptroller and Auditor General. The financial statements of The National Archives for the last three years have been audited by
the National Audit Office on behalf of the Comptroller and Auditor General. The Accounting Officer is also required to produce an annual Statement of Internal Control, which must taken into account actions highlighted by both the Management Board (which contains four non-executive directors) and the Audit Committee, which is chaired by a non-executive director. The Audit Committee is responsible for providing advice and assurance on the adequacy and effectiveness of internal control and risk management. It also oversees internal and external audit arrangements, which cover all areas of The National Archives' work, including both financial and non-financial systems. The Comptroller and Auditor General is required to produce a certificate and report to the House of Commons on the financial statements of The National Archives and this has been issued for the past three years with no comment. Therefore, I am assured on an annual basis that The National Archives' financial governance arrangements continue to meet all expected requirements.
National Archives: Manpower
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many new staff at pay bands (a) G and (b) H have been appointed at the National Archives in the last three years. [297342]
Mr. Wills: As at October 2006, The National Archives employed 34 staff at grade G and 15 at grade H, five of which joined in 2006 when The National Archives merged with the Office of Public Sector Information. In October 2007 The National Archives employed 46 staff at grade G and 17 staff at grade H. This increase from 2006 was as a direct result of a drive across Government to professionalise core services in IT, finance and HR. 11 of the new staff were professionally qualified in these areas. In October 2008 there were 51 staff at grade G and 15 staff at grade H, one of which joined when the Statute Law Database became part of The National Archives and seven of which were new posts, funded externally. As of October 2009 the figure stands at 54 staff at grade G and 16 staff at grade H.
The organisation is at the final stages of completing a cost saving exercise which involves reducing the number of management and administration posts at G and H grade by four. This will bring the net total of G and H grades to 66 in 2010 of which seven will continue to be externally funded.
John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) directors of finance and (b) heads of finance there have been at the National Archives in each of the last three years. [297344]
Mr. Wills:
As at October 2006, The National Archives employed a permanent Director of Finance and permanent Head of Finance. The same members of staff were in post in October 2008, leaving in January 2009 and May 2009 respectively. After both post holders departed, the roles were restructured to reflect the changing needs of the organisation, and the posts filled temporarily on an interim basis. The National Archives therefore currently employs an Interim Director of Finance and an Interim Head of Finance. It is in the process of recruiting a permanent Director of Finance. Following the review of the finance department, the Head of Finance post
has been split into two roles-one focusing on financial accounts and the other on management accounts. One of these posts has now been filled permanently and the other is on the process of being filled permanently.
Prison: Visits
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison visits there have been in each of the last five years; and what the average number of visits per prisoner was in each such year. [296031]
Mr. Straw: Statistics on the number of social visits taken by prisoners are not centrally collated. However, all prisoners have a statutory entitlement to domestic or social visits. Unconvicted prisoners are entitled to three social visits a week; convicted prisoners are entitled to receive a social visit on reception and thereafter one every two weeks. All social visits should last at least one hour. Under guidance issued by the National Offender Management Service prisoners should have the opportunity for some of these visits to take place at weekends. In addition some prisons also provide opportunities for family visits which focus on improving the relationship between the imprisoned parent and their children.
Prisoners Release: Domestic Violence
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to instigate risk assessments and home circumstance reports prior to release on End of Custody Licence of any offender whose offence involved domestic violence. [296027]
Mr. Straw: All prisoners released on ECL would have to have been released at their statutory release date a maximum of 18 days' later. For this reason, ECL operates according to precise fixed criteria: if prisoners meet the set criteria they are released on ECL. Prisoners serving a sentence for a violent offence (such as conspiracy to murder, manslaughter, wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, unlawful wounding, cruelty to children) are excluded.
Prison Service Instruction 42/2007 requires that prisons should take appropriate action in response to any information they have received that a prisoner who is eligible for release on ECL poses a risk of domestic violence or to a specific victim on release as follows:
All release arrangements that would otherwise have taken place 18 days later are brought forward to the ECL release date. As with any release, if the prison has information that indicates a risk to a victim, that information should be provided to the police and, where appropriate, submitted to the Multi Agency Pubic Protection Panel, in line with routine risk management arrangements.
Where the prison has information that indicates the prisoner has given the address of his victim as his release address, this should be flagged up to the local police so that measures to address the risk can be put in place.
Prison Governors will not release those prisoners who will be subject to supervision on release to an address prohibited by their offender manager in the supervision licence. In such cases ECL release will only take place if a suitable alternative address is provided. Where prisoners are subject to supervision on release, any conditions included on the normal supervision licence must also be included on the ECL licence.
There are no current plans to make any changes to the scheme. When prison population concerns allow, the scheme will be ended.
Prisoners Release: Reoffenders
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many offenders have been (a) charged with and (b) convicted of manslaughter committed while on End of Custody Licence since 29 June 2007; [296025]
(2) in which courts each offender convicted of committing murder while on End of Custody Licence was sentenced in the last three years. [296026]
Mr. Straw: Determinate sentenced prisoners fulfilling the relevant conditions may be released into the community up to 18 days earlier than the halfway point of their sentence under the End of Custody Licence (ECL) scheme. Indeterminate sentenced prisoners are not eligible for ECL. Data on ECL releases, recalls and alleged re-offending is published every month on the following website:
Of those prisoners who were released on ECL and were subsequently charged with and convicted of manslaughter, the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has been notified in line with Serious Further Offences (SFO) procedures that there has been one case where an offender who was charged with manslaughter. However, this offender subsequently entered a guilty plea to murder and therefore was convicted of murder.
In total, there have been two offenders released on ECL convicted of murder since commencement of the scheme on 29 June 2007. These two offenders were sentenced in Leeds Crown Court and the Royal Courts of Justice to life sentences in 2007 and 2009, respectively.
Of those released on ECL since the scheme began, NOMS has been notified that about 3 per cent. have been recalled to custody. Fewer than 2 per cent. have been notified to NOMS as having allegedly offended during the ECL period.
Prisoners Transfers: Libya
Mr. Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice to what extent consideration of the effect on commercial contracts for oil and gas were taken into account in negotiations between the Government and Libya on the prisoner transfer agreement signed in November 2008. [291849]
Mr. Straw: The prisoner transfer agreement between the United Kingdom and Libya was one of four agreements in the field of judicial cooperation signed by the United Kingdom and Libya on 17 November 2008. Signature of these agreements is a tangible sign of the normalisation of the relationship between Libya and the United Kingdom and between Libya and the wider international community following its renunciation of international terrorism and weapons of mass destruction.
In negotiating the prisoner transfer agreement account was taken of the impact of the agreement across a range of issues, including trade. However, there was no deal between the UK and Libya to secure the transfer of any individual in return for commercial contracts, or otherwise.
Prisoners: Compensation
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether any compensation has been paid to Shane Gormally, formerly held in HM Prison Hull; and if he will make a statement. [296022]
Mr. Straw: There is no central record of any civil litigation claim being brought against the Prison Service by Mr. Gormally, and therefore, no central record of any compensation being paid to him.
Prisoners: Drugs
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prisoners received treatment for alcohol addiction in the last five years. [296155]
Mr. Straw: Epidemiological studies show that around 8 per cent. of females and 7 per cent. of males coming into prison are dependent on alcohol for which clinical detoxification, the Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS) and Alcoholics Anonymous/Peer Support are key interventions available in prison.
Alcohol treatment and rehabilitation services for those with an alcohol dependency in prisons are in the main provided within the wider drug treatment framework. The proportion of prisoners accessing alcohol treatment services is at present generally not disaggregated. However, I am asking for advice on the collective of better data overall on alcohol dependency, abuse and treatment of those in custody.
The needs of prisoners with an alcohol problem are important. A great deal of good work is undertaken in prisons, with a range of interventions in place to support those with an alcohol problem. These vary across prisons but can include:
clinical services-alcohol detoxification, available in all prisons that have implemented the clinical elements of the IDTS;
where alcohol is part of a wider substance misuse problem, the full range of drug interventions are available;
alcohol awareness courses;
an Alcohol information pack and awareness video is available for all prisoners and an alcohol leaflet will shortly be available;
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) run groups in around 67 per cent. of prisons;
some offending behaviour programmes address the underlying factors which occur in alcohol related crime;
for those prisons involved in the roll-out of the Integrated Drug Treatment System (IDTS), a 90 minute alcohol awareness session is available, this will be available in all prisons in 2009.
a 12-step accredited alcohol programme is being run at HMP Bullingdon and an accredited Alcohol Related Violence programme based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is being run at HMP Chelmsford with three further sites planned to be running later in the year; and
the young persons substance misuse service for 16-18 year old prisoners (has a particular focus on alcohol).
Prisons
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions each London prison has declared a lock-out in the last 12 months. [296151]
Mr. Straw: The table shows the number of prisoners the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) records as being 'locked-out' of prison between October 2008 and September 2009.
NOMS attributes the increase in numbers during February 2009 to the severe snowfall in London on 2 February, which disrupted prisoner escorts to and from courts. In the majority of cases 'lockouts' occurred as a result of late court sittings and the contractor then not being able to return prisoners by prison closing time.
| HMP | ||||||||||
| Belmarsh | Brixton | Feltham A | Feltham B | Holloway | Latchmere House | Pentonville | Wandsworth | Wormwoo d Scrubs | Total | |
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