ICT

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many mobile devices of each brand his Department has purchased in each of the last two years. [175851]

Mr Hurd: I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 7 and 18 March 2013, Official Report, columns 1140-424W.

Infant Mortality

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the infant mortality rates in each of the last five years were; and what the most common causes of infant mortality were in each of the last five years. [175818]

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the infant mortality rates in each of the last five years were; and what the most common causes of infant mortality were in each of the last five years. [175818].

Table 1 provides the rate of infant mortality in England and Wales, in each year from 2007 to 2011 (the latest year available).

Table 2 provides the number of infant deaths which occurred in England and Wales, by ONS neonatal cause of death group, in each year from 2007 to 2011 (the latest year available). The most common causes of infant mortality were immaturity related conditions and congenital anomalies.

Figures for perinatal, infant and childhood mortality in England and Wales are published annually on the ONS website:

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/child-mortality-statistics--childhood--infant-and-perinatal/2011/index.html

Figures for 2012 will be available in the first quarter of 2014

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Manufacturing Industries: West Midlands

Karen Lumley: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what change in manufacturing output there has been in the West Midlands in each of the last four quarters. [175328]

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what change in manufacturing output there has been in the West Midlands in each of the last four quarters. 175328

Estimates of economic activity by region are only available on an annual basis rather than quarterly. The most recent published annual estimates cover the year 2010. Data for 2011 will be published on 11 December 2013. Unfortunately, therefore, ONS is unable to provide the requested data.

Military Decorations

Mr Kennedy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects to receive the report of Sir John Holmes’ independent review of military medal arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [175690]

Mr Maude: Sir John Holmes is continuing his work on military medals. The Committee on the Grant of Honours, Decorations and Medals (‘HD Committee’) will meet early in the new year to discuss his further recommendations.

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Ministerial Policy Advisers

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 7 November 2013, Official Report, column 309W, on ministerial policy advisers, whether the departmental organogram available at http://data.gov.uk/organogram/cabinet-office is published in (a) alternative file formats and (b) printable file formats. [175399]

Mr Maude: The data underlying the organogram visualisation is published in CSV format on departmental websites and on data.gov.uk. These can be printed. These files are searchable on data.gov.uk for each Department.

Patients: Death

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the number of deaths in English hospitals caused by (a) malnutrition, (b) dehydration and (c) pressure sores in each of the last five years for which data are available. [175573]

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what estimate has been made of the number of deaths in English hospitals caused by (a) malnutrition, (b) dehydration and (c) pressure sores in each of the last five years. (175573)

Table 1 provides the number of deaths in hospitals where the underlying cause was (a) malnutrition, (b) dehydration (volume depletion or lack of water) or (c) pressure sores (decubitus ulcers) for hospitals in England between 2008 and 2012 (the latest year available).

Table 2 provides the number of deaths in hospitals where (a) malnutrition or effects of hunger, (b) dehydration (volume depletion or lack of water) or effects of thirst or (c) pressure sores (decubitus ulcers) were mentioned on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor, for hospitals in England between 2008 and 2012 (the latest year available). Where an individual had more than one of the conditions mentioned above, they will be included in the table more than once.

All of the data in Table 1 is included in Table 2, so figures should not be combined across the two tables to produce an overall number of deaths.

Those who die with the conditions specified above are usually already very ill. For example, someone with malnutrition may have cancer of the digestive tract, which means they cannot eat properly or cannot absorb nutrients. In these cases, malnutrition, dehydration or pressure sore will be recorded on the death certificate as a condition that has contributed to the death, but it will not be the underlying cause. Therefore two sets of figures have been provided: the first showing deaths where one of these conditions was the underlying cause of death, and the second where the condition was mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor.

Moreover, internationally accepted guidance from the World Health Organisation requires only those conditions that contributed directly to death to be recorded on the death certificate. Medical practitioners and coroners are not supposed to record all of the diseases or conditions present at or before death. Whether a condition contributed is a matter for their clinical judgement.

The figures provided show the number of deaths that occurred in English hospitals. They do not show how or where the specified condition was acquired.

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The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age, cause and place of death are published annually and are available here:

www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-27475

Pay

Mr Meacher: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 21 May 2013, Official Report, column 643W, on pay, when the UK Statistics Authority expects to supply the information requested in the original question. [175665]

Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.

Letter from Glen Watson, dated November 2013:

As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking pursuant to the Answer of 21 May 2013, Official Report, column 643W on pay, when the UK Statistic Authority expects to supply the information requested in the original question. (175665)

Average levels of earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for all employees on adult rates of pay whose pay for the survey period was not affected by absence. The ASHE, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. ASHE data can be used to estimate average levels of basic pay, but suitable data are not available from which to estimate average levels of bonuses, share incentive scheme

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payouts, stock options or other remuneration. It is also not possible to provide estimates for the highest-earning 0.1 per cent of employees. This is because it is not possible to produce quality measures corresponding to these estimates via the ASHE ad hoc analysis system.

The following table shows estimates of the median and mean basic weekly pay for the highest-earning 1 per cent of employee jobs in the UK, for each year from 2008 to 2012.

Justice

Administration of Justice: Isle of Wight

Mr Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many low-level cases he expects to be transferred from the Isle of Wight to the mainland in the next 12 months for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the likely level of transfer of such cases between criminal justice areas nationally. [174450]

Mr Vara: It is estimated that 520 road traffic cases per year that previously may have proceeded on the Isle of Wight will now be initially dealt with in Aldershot, at the dedicated traffic court for the criminal justice area of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

It is estimated that 400 DVLA cases per year that previously may have proceeded on the Isle of Wight will now take place in Southampton magistrates court, the dedicated court for vehicle excise evasion for the criminal justice area of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

It is estimated that 160 TV licensing cases per year that previously may have proceeded on the Isle of Wight will now commence at Fareham magistrates court, the dedicated court for TV licence evasion for the criminal justice area of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The judiciary, in conjunction with HMCTS and criminal justice partners, routinely review local listing arrangements, taking into account changes in workloads and to ensure the best use of our resources.

This follows an announcement on 17 May 2013 that every police force area should have a dedicated ‘traffic court' to deal with low-level road traffic offences, where defendants are not required to appear in person, enabling magistrates to better organise their work and drive efficiency. The small minority of contested cases, for which defendants should attend, continue to be heard at local courts.

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Nationally, we expect cases to be clustered within each criminal justice area, which (but for the city of London police) align with police force areas. We do not anticipate cases to be transferred between police force areas as a result of this policy.

Conditions of Employment

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many direct employees and contracted workers of his Department and its arm’s lengths bodies are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage; and how many direct employees are on zero hours contracts. [174982]

Mr Vara: No direct employees of the Ministry of Justice headquarters, HM Courts and Tribunal Service, the Office of the Public Guardian and the Legal Aid Agency (LAA) are paid less than the rate defined by the Living Wage Foundation as a living wage.

All employees of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) working in London are paid above the London living wage.

As of August 2013, NOMS employs around 200 members of staff who earn below the national living wage. This is less than half of one percent of NOMS staff. By 2016-17, virtually all those staff will be paid over the living wage.

There are a total of seven staff in all the Ministry's arm’s length bodies who earn less than the living wage.

At 30 September 2013, the Ministry employed 120 staff on zero hours contracts. That is less than 0.2 per cent of the total workforce of the Ministry and its agencies.

None of the Ministry's arm’s length bodies employs staff on zero hours contracts.

Where work is irregular, such as in certain courts, zero hours contracts allow the Ministry to provide the taxpayer with value for money while meeting operational demands efficiently. Staff on zero hours contracts are recruited on standard civil service terms and conditions and the contracts do not have exclusivity clauses. The staff are paid for the hours that they work.

Domestic Violence: Reoffenders

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of men convicted of domestic violence-related offences are assessed as being at (a) low, (b) medium and (c) high risk of reoffending. [171385]

Jeremy Wright: An estimate of the likelihood of any proven reoffending can be made using the Offender Group Reconviction Score (OGRS3) for offenders who have been assessed under the Offender Assessment System (OASys).

At March 2013, the proportion of offenders with a positive response to the question ‘physical violence towards partner in the current offence’ is shown below using their likelihood of reoffending at two years to group them into low, medium and high risk.

56% are ‘low' risk of reoffending (OGRS3 score of 0% to 49%))

32% are ‘medium' risk (OGRS3 of 50% to 74%)

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12% are 'high' risk (OGRS3 of 75% to 99%).

The risk of reoffending is distinct from the risk of serious harm. These figures cannot be used to calculate the number of domestic violence offenders who would be managed by the new national probation service and the new community rehabilitation companies.

Notes:

1. Figures are based on a total of 19,449 offenders who meet the criteria in the prison and probation caseload of March 2013.

2. OASys is not required for all offenders. OASys is used at pre-sentence report stage and then during many but not all custodial and non-custodial sentences. OASys is not required for offenders with a custodial sentence of under 12 months (except for 18 to 21-year-olds) and it is not required for lower-risk offenders receiving only unpaid work, curfew and/or attendance centre requirements as part of a community sentence. Additionally, offenders who are fined or discharged are very unlikely to receive an OASys assessment.

3. The question ‘physical violence towards partner in the current offence' could exclude some cases where the offence is related to domestic violence, but does not involve physical violence towards a partner (e.g. criminal damage, breach of restraining order or harassment).

4. The figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Family Courts: Harrow

Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to move family court proceedings in Harrow from Brent Magistrates' Court to York House; and if he will make a statement. [163389]

Mr Vara: Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals service has been reviewing capacity for family proceedings across London in readiness for the creation of the single Family Court next year. The Designated Family Centre for west London will be at Hatton Cross Hearing Centre, Feltham (which includes York House).

In the new Family Court, all family proceedings from west London boroughs, including Harrow, will be issued at Hatton Cross. It will be for judges to determine where proceedings are heard, but my expectation is that most cases originating in London borough of Harrow will be heard at what is currently Barnet county court in Finchley.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service

Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure that objective 5 contained in the Annual Reports of Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service 2012-13, to reduce the number of cases coming before courts and tribunals, is appropriately balanced against the other objectives of that body. [174901]

Mr Vara: The objectives of HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), which have been agreed between the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Chief Justice and the Senior President of Tribunals, are set out in the Framework Document which underpins it. They support the overall aim of HMCTS which is to run an efficient and effective courts and tribunals system, which enables the rule of law to be upheld and provides access to justice for all. Working with other Government Departments and agencies to improve the quality of decision making in order to reduce the number of cases coming before the courts

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and tribunals contributes to the overall aim by ensuring that those cases that come before a court or tribunal are those which actually require judicial intervention. The HMCTS business plan for 2013-14 provides details of the business priorities for the current year all of which support the organisation's objectives. It can be found at:

http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/corporate-reports/hmcts/2012/hmcts-business-plan12-13.pdf

There are a number of initiatives underway to improve the quality of initial decision making in other Government Departments and agencies. A current example is the work being taken forward with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in relation to benefit entitlement claims. A revised decision notice was introduced in the First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) in July 2012 to provide feedback on reasons for overturned DWP decisions. Building on this, we are in the process of a phased introduction of a summary paragraph of reasons in all cases.

Intestacy

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to abolish the time restraints on a family provision claim in the circumstances of an intestacy death. [175115]

Mr Vara: Applications for orders for family provision under section 2 of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975 can be made during the period of six months from the date on which the grant of representation with respect to the deceased's estate is first taken out. Earlier applications are not permitted. Late applications can be made with the permission of the court.

The Government have no plans to change the law relating to the latest date at which an application can be made, but has introduced the Inheritance and Trustees' Powers Bill, which will, if enacted in its present form, permit applications to be made before the grant of representation is taken out. The Bill will implement recommendations of the Law Commission.

Legal Aid Scheme

Sir Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to assess the effect of the Government's proposed changes to legal aid on access to court proceedings for low income parents in child access and custody proceedings; and if he will make a statement. [172592]

Mr Vara: The proposals consulted on in “Transforming Legal Aid: delivering a more credible and efficient system” are aimed at reducing the cost of and ensuring public confidence in the legal aid scheme. As part of our consultation response we have updated our assessment of the impacts of the proposals. This can be found at

https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/transforming-legal-aid-next-steps/consult_view

The Government will be undertaking a post-implementation review of the legal aid provisions within the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) in 3-5 years time, which will also include a review of the civil legal aid proposals that are taken forward as part of Transforming Legal Aid.

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Magistrates Courts: Wales

Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the Swansea magistrates court is able to absorb the transferred case load from the proposed closure of the Neath Port Talbot Magistrates Court; and if he will make a statement. [174701]

Mr Vara: The consultation paper the future of Neath magistrates court was published on 26 September 2013 and closed on 7 November 2013. The consultation paper stated

‘Analysis of utilisation of both Neath and Swansea Magistrates Courts workload has demonstrated that, should a decision be taken to relocate Neath to Swansea, the resulting utilisation would still only be 77%.’

A response to the future of Neath magistrates court consultation is due to be published in due course.

Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effects of the proposed closure of the Neath Port Talbot magistrates court on the ability of those in remote valley communities to travel to court hearings. [174702]

Mr Vara: The consultation paper the future of Neath magistrates court was published on 26 September 2013 with an Impact Assessment. Following consideration of the responses, an updated Impact Assessment will be published alongside the response to the consultation.

Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions (a) he and (b) HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS) have had with local individuals and organisations on the proposed closure of the Neath Port Talbot magistrates court prior to the publication of the HMCTS impact assessment; and if he will make a statement. [174705]

Mr Vara: The proposals on the future of Neath magistrates court were published as part of a public consultation on 26 September 2013 in order to seek views of all interested parties, including local individuals and organisations.

I came into post subsequent to publication of the consultation paper so have not had the opportunity to discuss with local individuals or organisations.

HM Courts and Tribunals Service regularly meets a range of stakeholders as part of its commitment to provide an effective and efficient service to court and tribunal users.

Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will extend the public consultation on the future of Neath Port Talbot magistrates court in order to consult upon specific proposals to (a) re-open the Port Talbot magistrates court, (b) use the County Court at Neath, (c) adapt the Port Talbot police station and (d) adapt the Neath police station or Crown Building in Windsor Road in Neath; and for what reasons those proposals were not considered in the initial consultation. [174706]

Mr Vara: The consultation paper the future of Neath magistrates court was published on 26 September 2013.

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All responses including those with alternative proposals will be assessed in order to inform any decisions and the response to consultation.

Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure that the proposed newly-merged Swansea magistrates court will address the specific needs of people in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot taking account of remoteness, low incomes and digital exclusion. [174899]

Mr Vara: The consultation paper the future of Neath magistrates court was published on 26 September 2013 with an impact assessment. Following consideration of the responses, an updated impact assessment will be published alongside the response to the consultation.

Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice for what reasons he is proposing to close Neath Port Talbot magistrates court. [174900]

Mr Vara: The consultation paper “Proposals on the future of Neath Magistrates Court” was published on 26 September 2013. The purpose of the consultation was to consider proposals to move work from Neath magistrates court to Swansea magistrates court. This forms part of the commitment by Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunals Service to review the estate to ensure it meets operational requirements and delivers best value for the taxpayer.

The consultation paper closed on 7 November 2013.

Members: Correspondence

Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the average time it takes his Department to reply to letters from hon. Members. [175323]

Mr Vara: The Ministry of Justice does not record the average time taken to reply to letters from hon. Members. However, the Ministry does measure performance against the target of responding to 90% of their correspondence within 15 working days.

From January to September this year, the Ministry of Justice (and its agencies) has increased the overall proportion of responses that are in time from the same period last year: up from 69% in 2012 to 83% in 2013 (exceeding the target of 90% in May, June and July). This improvement is set against an increase in volumes so far in 2013.

National Offender Management Service

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how much was spent on with-cause breathalyser testing of National Offender Management Service staff in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; [174151]

(2) how many individual with-cause breathalyser tests of National Offender Management Service staff took place in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; [174152]

(3) how many times National Offender Management Service staff refused with-cause breathalyser testing in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; [174153]

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(4) how many times National Offender Management Service (NOMS) staff have been required to leave their place of work because (a) the breath alcohol level of the member of staff has breached the alcohol standard or (b) a member of staff has refused to participate in a breath test and concern remains about whether or not they are fit for duty as set out in the NOMS staff alcohol policy in each of the last three financial years; [174154]

(5) how many times National Offender Management Service staff have faced disciplinary investigation or action following a positive breathalyser test, or with-cause, or where a member of staff has refused a test in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13. [174155]

Jeremy Wright: Table 1 shows the cost of with-cause breathalyser testing of National Offender Management Service staff in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

Table 2 shows the number of individual with-cause breathalyser tests of National Offender Management Service staff that took place in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13.

The National Offender Management Service does not record information centrally to indicate whether any member of staff has refused a breathalyser test and therefore the supplier was not called upon. There is no evidence that any members of staff refused to undergo breathalyser testing after the collection officer had been called out.

The National Offender Management Service does not record information centrally of staff that have been required to leave their place of work because (a) the breath alcohol level of the member of staff has breached the alcohol standard or (b) a member of staff has refused to participate in a breath test and concern remains about whether or not they are fit for duty as set out in the NOMS staff alcohol policy. However, Table 3 shows the number of positive breathalyser test in each of the last three financial years. Staff who provide a positive breathalyser test will be subject locally to the NOMS staff alcohol policy and the NOMS conduct and discipline policy.

Although the National Offender Management Service holds high level information centrally on staff who have been subject to disciplinary procedures, it is not possible

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to extract detailed information for disciplinary action taken as a result of a positive breathalyser test or where a member of staff has refused a test.

Offenders: Rehabilitation

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people in prison must undertake a (a) domestic violence offender behaviour programme, (b) general offending behaviour programme, (c) sex offender behaviour programme, (d) substance misuse behaviour programme and (e) violence offender programme before they are eligible for release. [172531]

Jeremy Wright: Under legislation introduced under the previous Government, offenders serving a standard determinate custodial sentence will be automatically released at the specified time in their sentence, usually the halfway point. In all other cases, it is for the independent Parole Board to determine whether to direct the release of offenders whose cases are brought before them. The Lord Chancellor has made clear his desire to change the law so that fewer prisoners are released automatically and more prisoners have to earn their release.

All offenders liable to release by the Parole Board will have a sentence plan, and in many cases, it will be determined that an accredited offending behaviour programme is necessary for them to address their offending. However, a programme in itself is not a requirement for release. The Parole Board will consider not only whether the offender has completed relevant targets on his or her sentence plan, but also the offender's behaviour while in custody, as well as risk assessments and the release management plan. The Board will direct the release of such prisoners only if it is satisfied that it is no longer necessary on the grounds of public protection for them to be detained in custody.

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish the risk register associated with his Department's consultation on transforming rehabilitation. [174660]

Jeremy Wright: The Department is overseeing the reforms carefully to make sure that we implement them to the highest standards.

There are no plans to publish the programme's risk register.

It is good Government practice to challenge proposals robustly internally and we need to maintain the space to do that, and is the approach also taken by previous Governments.

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many offender behaviour programmes operational in English prisons are run by (a) public and (b) private sector organisations. [175214]

Jeremy Wright: Accredited offending behaviour programmes run in public sector-operated prisons are generally run by public sector staff, an exception being the “Challenge to Change” programme operated by the Kainos Community. Prisons operated by the private sector either deliver accredited programmes using their own staff or can use sub-contracting arrangements.

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In the period from 1 April to 31 October 2013, public sector prisons in England were commissioned to deliver 6,564 completions of accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes, and privately-managed prisons were commissioned to deliver 817 such completions.

Interventions are commissioned on a local basis in order to meet the needs of a prison's population and are therefore subject to change. The information provided has been drawn from an administrative data system, and 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.

Prison Accommodation

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice on how many occasions police cells have been used to house offenders owing to shortage of available prison places since 4 September 2013; and if he will make a statement. [173400]

Jeremy Wright: Prison numbers fluctuate throughout the year and we have sufficient accommodation for the current and expected population. We will always have enough prison places for those sent to us by the courts.

Police cells, under Operation Safeguard, have not been used since 22 September 2008 and no police cells under Operation Safeguard have been on stand by since the end of October 2008.

Prisoners

Mr Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of the prison population is serving a prison sentence of (a) one year or more and (b) two years or more. [158542]

Jeremy Wright: As at 31 March 2013, 89% of sentenced prisoners (excluding recallees) were serving a sentence of 12 months or more; 79% of sentenced prisoners (excluding recallees) were serving a sentence of two years or more.

These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the current prison population is; what the average level of the prison population was in each of the previous five years; and what the total capacity of the prison estate was in each such year. [175341]

Jeremy Wright: On 8 November 2013, the total prison population was 85,337.

The table provides the average prison population and average useable operational capacity of the prison estate in each of the previous five years, up to and including 2013. The figures provided in the table include all male and female public and privately operated prisons, young offender institutions and National Offender Management Service operated immigration removal centres.

The useable operational capacity of the estate is the total of each establishment's operational capacity minus an operating margin of 2,000 places. This reflects the constraints imposed by the need to provide separate

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accommodation for different classes of prisoner; i.e. by sex, age, security category, conviction status, cell sharing risk assessment and also due to geographical distribution.

Prison numbers fluctuate throughout the year and we have sufficient accommodation for the current and expected population. We will always have enough prison places for those sent to us by the courts. There will be more adult male prison capacity in May 2015 than there was at the start of this Parliament.

Prison population and capacity information is published weekly on the Government's website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prison-population-figures

These figures are drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

Mr Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many foreign nationals there are in UK prisons; and how many are nationals of countries with compulsory prisoner transfer agreements with the UK. [175163]

Jeremy Wright: Reducing the foreign nationals offender (FNO) population is a top priority for this Government. We are working hard to reduce the flow of FNOs into our prison system and increase the number of FNOs removed from the UK through Prisoner Transfer Agreements (PTAs); the early removal scheme (ERS) and tariff expired removal scheme (TERS). The number of FNOs deported under the early removal scheme (ERS) has increased in recent years.

There were 10,760 foreign nationals in prison in England and Wales on the 30 September 2013. Some 2,850 of these are from countries with whom we have compulsory prisoner transfer arrangements.

Prisoners can be considered for transfer if they have received a sentence of imprisonment, meet the deportation criteria and will have at least six months left to serve on their sentence on the date of transfer.

Fifteen member states have now implemented the EU Prisoner Transfer Arrangement and we are starting to see progress in the transfer of prisoners.

Prisoners: Sexual Offences

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he is taking to ensure that all prisoners convicted of sexual offences receive treatment for their offending behaviour while serving their prison sentence. [175588]

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Jeremy Wright: All prisoners can access support and help to reduce their likelihood of further offending and to support resettlement once released. In addition sex offenders who are assessed as being of a higher risk have a number of specific sex offender treatment programmes they should undertake.

The Offender Rehabilitation Bill will extend statutory supervision and rehabilitation in the community to all offenders released from prison. This represents the biggest change to sentencing in a decade. We are also putting in place a nationwide “through the prison gate” resettlement service which will mean most offenders will be given continuous support from custody into the community. In addition most offenders are held in a prison designated to their home area for at least three months before release.

Prisons

Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to (a) build new prisons and (b) expand existing prisons; and what estimate he has made of the cost of each project. [175322]

Jeremy Wright: We will ensure that there are always enough prison places for those sent to us by the courts but at much lower cost and in the right places to deliver our ambition of reducing reoffending.

Subject to planning permission, construction of a new £250 million prison in Wrexham will begin in summer 2014. The 2,100 place establishment is expected to be fully operational by 2017.

New house blocks are being constructed at Parc, Peterborough, Thameside and The Mount prisons. These will provide an additional 1,260 new places at an estimated construction cost of £150 million.

We are currently considering the feasibility of replacing the existing Feltham Young Offender Institution with a large new adult prison and a discrete new youth facility. The costs are not yet known.

Mr Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what progress he has made on his policy of closing old and costly prisons and replacing them with modern low-cost prisons. [175342]

Jeremy Wright: As part of a programme to modernise the estate, this Government have opened 5,455 new prison places since 2010. This includes the opening of three new prisons at Isis and Thameside (south west London) and Oakwood (Staffordshire).

We are also building four new houseblocks (or mini-prisons) that will hold 1,260 prisoners at four existing establishments by 2015. Additionally, subject to planning, the former Firestone site in Wrexham has been chosen as the location for a new prison which will deliver 2,100 places in 2017. We are examining the feasibility of replacing Feltham young offender institution with a large new adult prison and a new, specialist youth facility.

These new places have allowed us to close 20 prisons and parts of prisons and to convert two prisons into immigration removal centres. In total, we have now closed 6,418 places.

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These measures will ensure that there will be more adult male prison capacity in May 2015 than there was at the start of this Parliament in 2010.

Prisons: Closures

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has for (a) HMP Askham Grange and (b) HMP East Sutton Park after all the prisoners have been moved from those prisons. [175816]

Jeremy Wright: Once a timing on the closure of the prisons has been decided, the MOJ will seek to engage with local councils about the sites. However no final decisions have yet been made.

The Women's Custodial Estate Review, published on 25 October 2013 has determined that the two women's open prisons (Askham Grange and East Sutton Park) will close in due course once strategic hubs, employment regimes and improved resettlement opportunities are working effectively across the rest of the estate. The remaining women's prisons will also become resettlement prisons under the Transforming Rehabilitation reforms. This will help female offenders to serve their sentence as close to home as possible while getting access to rehabilitative services they need.

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he expects the last prisoners to leave (a) HM Prison Askham Grange and (b) HM Prison East Sutton Park. [175825]

Jeremy Wright: The closure of HMP Askham Grange and HMP East Sutton Park will be taken forward once it has been demonstrated that the recommendations of the Women's Estate Review have been implemented successfully. This includes the establishment and effective operation of the strategic hubs and community employment regimes.

Prisons: Crimes of Violence

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many prison officers have received hospital treatment following an assault at work in each of the last five years. [173405]

Jeremy Wright: The National Offender Management Service has a zero tolerance policy towards violence in prisons. NOMS is working with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that prisoners who assault prison staff are charged wherever possible and punished appropriately.

NOMS is also currently reviewing the way in which violent incidents are managed in prisons to identify best practice across the prison estate and is planning to implement new policy and guidance in 2014 to help further reduce the number of assaults.

Centralised recording of the type of treatment given for prison officer injuries following assaults only commenced in 2011 and complete information is only available from the start of 2012 to the end of June 2013.

In 2012, there were 213 hospital attendances following reported assaults while there were 170 such attendances in the first two quarters of 2013.

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Prisons: Procurement

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish records of (a) all contractors and (b) the value of such contracts entered into by each prison in the last five years. [159597]

Jeremy Wright: Prisons do not enter into contracts themselves as contracts are awarded centrally by the Department’s procurement directorate. All contracts and tenders awarded since 2010 over the value of £10,000 are published on the Contracts Finder website:

https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk

Prisons: South Yorkshire

Mr Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the future operation of (a) HM Prison Hatfield, (b) HM Prison Moorland and (c) HM Prison Lindholme will be; and if he will make a statement. [173404]

Jeremy Wright: We announced in July that Serco had been selected as the leading bidder in the ongoing competition to operate these South Yorkshire prisons. However, as the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), made clear at that time, we are auditing every MOJ contract held by Serco and G4S following issues that arose in relation to the Department's electronic monitoring contracts. These issues are now subject to a criminal investigation by the Serious Fraud Office.

The Government will make a further statement when it is appropriate to do so.

Probation

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice following the introduction of his Transforming Rehabilitation reforms, if he will estimate the number of probation cases in each region that will be managed by (a) the National Probation Service and (b) community rehabilitation companies. [173106]

Jeremy Wright: The Government's published ‘Transforming Rehabilitation Strategy’ states that we currently estimate, on an annual basis, that community rehabilitation companies will manage 236,000 low and medium risk starts and that the new national probation service will manage 31,000 offender starts.

In order to enable users to understand the approximate size, composition and reoffending rates of offender cohorts over time in each of the 21 new contract package areas the MoJ has published modelled data for the six years from 2005 to 2010 showing the number of offenders in each payment by results cohort and the one-year reoffending rates among those offenders. This information can be found at the following webpage:

http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/rehab-prog/competition/tr-prog-cpa-mi.xls

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the recent change to his Department's Transforming Rehabilitation Pre-Qualification Questionnaire deadline on the planned transition of 20,000 probation staff into separate companies by the end of January 2014. [173107]

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Jeremy Wright: Due to the high level of interest following the launch of the competition to find the future owners of the 21 community rehabilitation companies who will deliver rehabilitation services in England and Wales, and the subsequent number of clarification questions asked by providers in preparing their responses, the Department has decided to give potential providers an additional 14 calendar days to finalise their responses.

The Department remains on track to extend rehabilitation to more offenders, with current staff being transferred to either the new national probation service or a community rehabilitation company on 1 April 2014. The Transforming Rehabilitation competition will continue through 2014 with contracts being awarded and mobilised by 2015.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he intends to publish the Rehabilitation Programme Strategic Risk Register. [173175]

Jeremy Wright: The Transforming Rehabilitation Programme adds up to a revolution in the way we are managing offenders. The Department is overseeing the reforms carefully to make sure that we implement them to the highest standards. There are no plans to publish the Programme's risk register. It is good Government practice to challenge proposals robustly internally and we need to maintain the space to do that. Previous Governments have adopted a similar approach.

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether private contractors who have been found by his Department or the Serious Fraud Office to have anomalies in their billing practices are permitted to tender to run the Community Rehabilitation Companies. [173176]

Jeremy Wright: The Justice Secretary announced in July that we are auditing every MoJ contract held by Serco and G4S following issues that arose in relation to the Department's electronic monitoring contracts. These issues are now subject to a criminal investigation by the Serious Fraud Office.

The Government will make a further statement when it is appropriate to do so.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what steps he plans to take to increase the cost-effectiveness of probation authorities in the next 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [174527]

Jeremy Wright: Our Transforming Rehabilitation reforms will enable us to make considerable efficiency savings to probation services through the use of competition, the introduction of private and voluntary sector providers, and by sharing back-office functions within the public sector.

Releasing these efficiency savings will enable us to invest in rehabilitation, particularly by extending supervision to short-sentenced prisoners, thereby reducing reoffending among those who are currently among our most prolific offenders.

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of people in (a) Southend, (b) Essex and (c) England breached their probation order in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2009-10 and (iii) 2006-07. [174531]

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Jeremy Wright: The following table provides the proportion of people who breached a community order or suspended sentence order in Essex Probation Trust and England for 2012-13 and 2009-10. This has been calculated by inverting the orders or licences successfully completed metric that is published as part of the NOMS annual report management information addendum, and removing those on licence to limit the data to those on community orders and suspended sentence orders only. Data are not available for the financial year 2006-07. Data are also not available at the level required to provide this information for Southend and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Probation: Essex

Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of probation cases in (a) Southend and (b) Essex that will be managed by (i) the National Probation Service and (ii) community rehabilitation companies; what recent discussions (A) he, (B) Ministers in his Department and (C) officials in his Department have had with Essex Probation Service about this issue; and if he will make a statement. [174530]

Jeremy Wright: A projection of the numbers of cases to be allocated to the National Probation Service and each Community Rehabilitation Company will be released in due course as part of the competition process.

My officials continue to have discussions with Essex Probation Trust as part of the process of transitioning staff and caseload into the new structure.

Qualifications

Mrs Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people employed by his Department hold a (a) bachelor's, (b) master's and (c) PhD-level degree in computer science; and if he will make a statement. [175374]

Mr Vara: Information on the number of people employed by the Ministry of Justice who hold (a) an undergraduate, (b) a master's and (c) a PhD-level degree in computer science is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

The Civil Service Reform Plan, Capabilities Plan and the Ministry of Justice Capabilities Strategy and Plan all set the direction for the Department to focus on raising key professional skills including IT. The Ministry of Justice is promoting learning through the Civil Service Learning professional curriculum which is built on recognised standards. Significant work has been undertaken

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to ensure that all learning is aligned to the Skills Framework for the Information Age (SFIA) to ensure current and future business needs are attainable. The Ministry has also been actively engaged in working with e-Skills, the IT sector skills council, in developing gold standard Higher Apprenticeships for the IT sector. These are aimed at attracting high attaining A-level students into the sector as an alternative to university promoting the ‘learn as you earn' agenda.

Reoffenders

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many UK citizens sentenced abroad and returned to the UK to serve their sentence in a UK prison were released on (a) parole and (b) licence and subsequently reoffended and were (i) recalled to prison (A) in the UK and (B) abroad and (ii) were not recalled in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [173380]

Jeremy Wright: From l January 2007 to date, 493 British citizens have transferred from prisons abroad to prisons in the England and Wales in order to serve their sentences here.

Following transfer they are subject to the same release and supervision arrangements applicable to any other British national sentenced to a term of imprisonment by a court of law in England and Wales. They are not monitored or tracked separately from other prisoners and therefore the requested statistics are not available.

The transfer of prisoners into and out of Scotland, and into and out of Northern Ireland, is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the relevant Minister.

Richard III

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much the Government spent on legal costs as a defendant in the judicial review brought by the Queen on the application of the Plantagenet Alliance (a) up to 15 August 2013 and (b) since that time; and if he will set a limit to the amount of public money which the Government will spend on legal costs in this case. [170193]

Mr Vara: The Government's spend on legal costs up to 15 August was £15,850. By the end of September spend was £28,590. Figures for the spend since then are not yet collated.

The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, my right hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling), is vigorously defending this judicial review. He is disappointed that permission was granted to the Plantagenet Alliance Limited to challenge the licence he granted to Leicester University to excavate human remains that turned out to be those of Richard III.

The Government are currently consulting on a package of proposals which aim to tackle the problem of unmeritorious judicial reviews.

Mr Ward: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice where and in what state the remains of Richard III are currently kept. [175619]

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Mr Vara: The University of Leicester applied to the Ministry of Justice last year for an exhumation licence for an archaeological dig at the Grey Friars car park in Leicester, where they believed it was possible that the remains of Richard III could be buried.

That application was considered following due process and granted by the Ministry of Justice. It specifies that any remains discovered should either be deposited at Leicester's Jewry Wall Museum or reburied at St Martin's Cathedral in Leicester or any other suitable burial ground. It is usual archaeological practice to either exhibit discovered remains in a museum, or rebury them near to where they were originally buried.

A condition of the licence is that until the remains are deposited or reinterred they shall be kept safely, privately and decently by the University of Leicester. I understand that the remains are being kept in secure laboratory conditions by the university and only accessed by the archaeological team.

Sentencing

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average prison sentence was for either way offences handed down by (a) Crown courts and (b) magistrates' courts in each of the last three years. [175849]

Jeremy Wright: Tough sentences are available to the independent judiciary who decide the sentences for individual criminals based on the full facts of the case. The average custodial sentence length (in months) for offenders sentenced to immediate custody for triable- either-way offences, by court type, in England and Wales, from 2010 to 2012 (the latest available), can be viewed in the following table.

Court proceedings for the calendar year 2013 are planned for publication in May 2014.

Serco

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his policy is on bids from Serco for contracts with his Department. [175315]

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Jeremy Wright: The Justice Secretary announced in July that we are auditing every MoJ contract held by Serco and G4S following issues that arose in relation to the Department's electronic monitoring contracts. These issues are now subject to a criminal investigation by the Serious Fraud Office.

The Government will make a further statement when it is appropriate to do so.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average length of waiting time is for a Tribunal Service hearing for those appealing benefits claims decisions. [175297]

Mr Vara: The First-tier Tribunal—Social Security and Child Support (SSCS), administered by HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) decisions on a range of benefits and credits.

Information on the average waiting time for all benefit types is published by HMCTS in Tribunal Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report for the period April to June 2013, which includes the average waiting times for all benefit types can be viewed at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2013

Sovereignty: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what discussions (a) he and (b) his ministerial colleagues have had with their counterparts in the Scottish Government regarding the Scottish Government's White Paper on Independence. [174390]

Mr Vara: Neither I nor my ministerial colleagues have had any meetings with counterparts in the Scottish Government regarding the Scottish Government's White Paper on Independence.

Squatting

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many people have been (a) arrested on suspicion of, (b) tried for and (c) convicted for the offence of squatting in a residential building under section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012; [172693]

(2) how many of the convictions for the offence of squatting in a residential building under section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 have resulted in (a) a custodial sentence and (b) a fine; [172694]

(3) what the average fine is handed down for the offence of squatting in a residential building under section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012; [172695]

(4) what the average length is of a custodial sentence handed down for the offence of squatting in a residential building under section 144 of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. [172696]

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Jeremy Wright: The offence of squatting in a residential building has been actively enforced since it was commenced on 1 September 2012. We do not hold data on the number of arrests but data for just the first four months shows 38 defendants had been proceeded against at magistrates courts for this offence by the end of December 2012. Over the same period, 32 offenders were found guilty of and sentenced for the offence. Of these offenders:

14 were fined. The average fine was £113.79;

10 were given a conditional discharge;

Five were given a community sentence;

One offender was sentenced to immediate custody of seven days;

Two were otherwise dealt with.

Criminal justice statistics for the calendar year 2013 are planned for publication in spring 2014.

Stalking

Mr Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to develop offender behaviour programmes for stalkers either in the community or in custody. [168888]

Jeremy Wright: Stalking is a dreadful crime which can devastate victims' lives. That is why the Government recently strengthened the framework of criminal offences available to deal with stalking and harassment by amendments to the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, made by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012. We have put beyond doubt that stalking is a criminal offence and will not be tolerated, making it punishable by up to five years in prison.

NOMS has made an evidence based decision to focus investment in offending behaviour programmes on groups of offenders who are most likely to reoffend, and/or who present the greatest risk. We have good evidence that targeting these groups through the delivery of structured interventions has a proven impact. We have developed specific offending behaviour programmes to target violent, sexual and general offending. Stalkers are a comparatively small group within the offending population and individuals convicted of stalking share a broad range of offending behaviours with other types of offender. Although we have not identified a need to develop a specific intervention for this group, their motivations, needs and the specific nature of their offending behaviour will in many cases make them suitable for participation in existing accredited offending behaviour programmes or for one-to-one work.

NOMS Commissioners continually bear in mind the need to examine the needs of particular offender sub groups. If it becomes apparent that there is any discrete and significant subgroup of offenders with specific needs that are not met by existing provision, our commissioning strategy will change.

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether there are any plans to support advocacy within the court system for the victims of stalking. [169439]

Mr Vara: Stalking causes misery for victims and will not be tolerated. Since 2012 the Government has introduced new specific stalking offences and delivered training and guidance for police officers and prosecutors about

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the new legislation. The Government Action Plan to End Violence Against Women and Girls makes an undertaking to continue to raise awareness of stalking to improve professionals' response. The Ministry of Justice is supporting the Home Office who lead on this work.

Young Offenders

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people under the age of 21 years are being held in each prison. [172418]

Jeremy Wright: As at 30 June 2013, there were 7,048 young people under the age of 21 held either on custodial remand or under sentence. This number includes all young people who are held in Young Offender Institutions (including 18-20 YOIs and under 18 YOIs), dual designated institutions for adults, and adult prisons. It does not include Secure Children's Homes and Secure Training Centres.

The number held in each prison is presented in the following table:

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Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the reasons why young people enter the criminal justice system. [174150]

Jeremy Wright: Preventing young people from offending is a Government priority. Considerable progress has been made in recent years in reducing the number of first time entrants to the Criminal Justice System, including through the work of youth offending teams. The number of first time entrants fell from 60,303 in 2009-10 to 27,102 in 2012-13.

Young people who enter the criminal justice system often exhibit a range of problems. For example research has highlighted factors such as family conflict, socialising with delinquent peers, illegal drug use and underage drinking, as well as low achievement at school, exclusion and truancy.

The Ministry of Justice works closely with other Government Departments to prevent young people entering the system, including through the Troubled Families programme—which aims to turn around the lives of 120,000 of the country's most troubled families by 2015—and the cross-Government Ending Gangs and Youth Violence initiative, which is overseeing a range of initiatives to prevent young people being drawn into gangs and deter and help those who are already involved.

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Mr Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate she has made of the number of young people in young offenders' institutions and specialist children's homes; and if she will distinguish those who are jailed on human trafficking offences. [175027]

Jeremy Wright: The number of crimes committed by young people has fallen and there has been a significant reduction in the overall number of young people in custody in the last five years. For the small minority of young people for whom custody is the most appropriate option we are committed to improving their welfare, safety and chances of rehabilitation.

The Monthly Youth Custody Report provides information on the number of children and young people under the age of 18 in secure children's homes, secure training centres and young offender institutions. This may be viewed here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/255967/youth-custody-report-september-2013.xls

The Youth Justice Board (YJB) collects data on the offence for which young people in custody have been sentenced. Human trafficking was not recorded as a separate offence within the database used for data collection between 2008-09 and 2011-12. Any cases where the young person was in custody for human trafficking would be under the category “other” and cannot be extracted.

A new database has been in use since 2012-13 for data collection. Implementation issues have resulted in incomplete offence data and therefore we cannot yet answer the question with regard to the number of young people in custody for human trafficking offences. We are working to improve data quality in the future.

According to the latest data available, over the period 2008 to 2012, no children or young people aged 10 to 17 have been sentenced to custody for a human trafficking offence where human trafficking was the principal offence.

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of young offenders came from (a) low, (b) middle and (c) higher income households in the latest period for which figures are available. [175293]

Jeremy Wright: Information on the household income of young offenders is not collected centrally.

Young Offenders: Employment

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will take steps to increase links between industry and young offender institutions for the purpose of increasing the skills and job prospects of young people. [174147]

Jeremy Wright: The Government believe that supporting young people to get a job is a key factor in reducing reoffending.

Young Offenders: Reoffenders

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the reoffending rates are of children who have resided in (a) secure children's homes, (b) secure training centres and (c) young offender institutions. [175355]

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Jeremy Wright: Reducing reoffending and better rehabilitation of young offenders are key priorities for the Government. Earlier this year we consulted on our vision to transform youth custody to place education at the heart of youth custody. In this way young offenders in custody can be equipped with the skills, qualifications and self-discipline they need to re-engage with education, training or employment on release and stop offending. We intend shortly to publish our response to the consultation setting out our plans for transforming youth custody.

Statistics on proven reoffending for juvenile offenders are published by the Ministry of Justice on a quarterly basis in the ‘Proven Re-offending Statistics Quarterly Bulletin’ at the following link:

www.gov.uk/government/publications/proven-re-offending-quarterly-january-to-december-2011

Youth Custody

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to publish his Department's response to the Transforming Youth Custody consultation. [175581]

Jeremy Wright: The Transforming Youth Custody Green Paper set out the Government's vision to place education at the heart of youth custody. We believe that young offenders need to be equipped with the skills, qualifications and self-discipline they need to engage in education, training or employment on release and turn their backs on offending.

The consultation ran from 14 February to 30 April 2013. We have since been considering the responses we received to the consultation and the Government's next steps in realising its ambition to transform youth custody. We will be responding to the consultation in due course.

Youth Justice Board

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what consideration his Department has given to increasing the remit of the Youth Justice Board to extend to young people aged up to 21 years of age. [174251]

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice considered whether the remit of the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) should be extended to young people aged up to 24 years of age as part of Stage 1 of this year's Triennial Review of the YJB. This concluded that the YJB should remain focused on preventing offending and reoffending of children and young people under 18 within the justice system, monitoring that system and commissioning a distinct secure estate for young people. The Stage 1 report can be found at:

https://consult.justice.gov.uk/digital-communications/yjb-triennial-review-2012

The Government recognise that the criminal justice system should be properly responsive to the needs of young adult offenders and we are improving support for young people who are transferring between the youth and adult justice systems. In September 2012, the YJB's Transitions Framework and NOMS Transitions Protocol were launched to promote better practice respectively for community and for custodial practitioners, and we are currently consulting on Transforming the Management of Young Adults in Custody.

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Health

Accident and Emergency Departments

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time in accident and emergency was in each of the last four years. [174505]

Jane Ellison: There are three measures of waiting times in the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) for accident and emergency (A&E). These are:

time to assessment;

time to treatment; and

time to departure.

The information requested is shown in the following tables. Information for 2012-13 is not yet available.

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for patients attending accident and emergency departments was in (a) each region and (b) each constituent part of the UK in each of the last 12 months. [174638]

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Jane Ellison: There are three measures of waiting times in the NHS Health and Social Care Information Centre Hospital Episode Statistics for accident and emergency. These show time to assessment; time to treatment; and time to departure. The information requested

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is shown for the 10 strategic health authorities and for England for 2011-12 in the following tables. Information for 2012-13 is not yet available. Waiting times for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are a matter for the devolved Administrations.