| 2013 | 2014 | |||||||
| Establishment | September | October | November | December | January | February | March | Total |
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| Notes: 1. (P) denotes private prison; (YOI) denotes Young Offender Institution/Juvenile Estate. 2. Charges are on the basis of number of visits made. 3. Camp Hill, Canterbury, Gloucester, Bullwood Hall, Kingston, Shepton Mallet and Shrewsbury closed in March 2013. 4. Dorchester, Reading and Blundeston closed in December 2013. 5. Northallerton transferred to the private sector in December 2013. 6. Wolds transferred to the public sector in July 2013. | ||||||||
Prisons: Security
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) how many (a) key lock incidents and (b) incidents of gates or doors being left unlocked there have been in the prison estate in each month since January 2010; [205486]
(2) how many (a) external and (b) internal incidents at height there have been in the prison estate in each month since 2010; [205487]
(3) how many incidents of concerted indiscipline in the prison estate there have been in each month since January 2010; [205488]
(4) how many (a) prisoner-on-prisoner and (b) prisoner-on-staff hostage incidents there have been in each month since January 2010. [205491]
Andrew Selous: A monthly breakdown of key lock incidents, incidents at height, hostage incidents and concerted indiscipline can be provided as requested but not in the time available. I will write to you as soon as this information is available.
Probation Trusts
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to paragraphs 68 and 69 of the National Framework on Staff Transfer and Protections - Staff Assignment Process - Guidance on the Application of the Sifting Criteria published in November 2013 for the Transforming Rehabilitation programme referring to the random assignment of staff, how many probation trusts used a random assignment method; which methods of random assignment were used; and how many staff were affected in each of the trusts using a random assignment method. [205541]
Andrew Selous: The probation workforce were allocated to the new organisations in line with capacity needs. This was calculated on the basis of the existing staffing requirements for the different operational functions. We worked closely with the Probation Association (representing Probation Trusts as employers) and the Probation Trade Unions on the staff allocations process, setting out a robust approach based primarily on an objective assessment of existing workloads plus expressions of interest. This was then implemented carefully and transparently by individual trusts, in consultation with their staff and the unions locally.
The Probation Association prepared guidance for its members on how trusts should allocate their staff to the new organisations. This recommended that an automatic assignment process should be applied in the first instance, and where this was not possible then local evidence-based assignment criteria should be used. In those few situations where neither process led to allocation, and only in the case of administrative support staff, then the guidance allowed for agreement on transfer to be reached on the basis of a random assignment process. This was designed to ensure that staff in similar circumstances had an equal opportunity to be assigned to either of the new organisations. The process was managed by trusts in agreement with the unions locally, and we do not hold figures relating to the number of trusts which made use of a random assignment method or how many staff were affected.
Probation staff were assigned to posts in the new organisations in the first part of the year. Where they were dissatisfied with the outcome of the process, they had a right of appeal. 4% of staff exercised that right, and 0.9% of appeals were upheld.
Religiously Aggravated Offences
Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what proportion of (a) offenders and (b) victims of religiously aggravated offences in each of the last five years were of each religious belief. [204656]
Mike Penning: These are despicable crimes that devastate lives and communities. Hate crimes are not acceptable and the courts hand out tougher punishments where race or religion are found to be aggravating factors.
Data on religious belief of offenders or victims are not reported centrally to the Ministry of Justice.
This information may be held by the courts in England and Wales but as such it can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Data on the proportion of offenders and victims may be held by individual police forces in England and Wales.
Senior Civil Servants
John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many senior civil servants appointed to positions in his Department since 2010 were previously (a) political appointees within that Department and (b) employed by a political party. [204329]
Mr Vara: We are unable to provide the number of civil servants appointed to the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) who were previously (a) political appointees and (b) employed by a political party. As this information is not held centrally, to collate this information as a whole would incur disproportionate costs.
Young Offenders
Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many young offenders have been tried before (a) adult magistrates courts and (b) Crown courts in England and Wales in each year since 2010. [R] [205394]
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Andrew Selous: The vast majority of children and young people have their cases heard by specially trained magistrates in the youth court.
A child or young person may only be tried in the adult magistrates courts where they are a co-defendant with an adult and the court has decided that it is in the interests of justice to keep the defendants together. Children alleged to have committed serious offences, such as homicide or offences that for an adult would result in 14 years or more in prison, are tried in the Crown Court and may also be tried there if it is in the interest of justice to keep them together with an adult co-defendant.
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Overall crime is down and fewer young people are offending. Proven offending by under-18s has reduced by 44% since 2010-11, while the number of first-time entrants to the system has fallen by 39% over the same period. The number of young people dealt with in the criminal courts has also fallen, reducing by 51% between 2010 and 2013.
Data on the number of children and young people tried in (a) the adult magistrates courts are set out at Table 1.
| Table 1: Young people aged 10 to 17 tried at adult magistrates courts, England and Wales, 2010 to 2013 | |
| Number of young people tried at adult magistrates courts1, 2, 3, 4 | |
Data on the number of children and young people tried in (b) the Crown court are set out in Table 2.
| Table 2: Young people aged 10 to 17 tried at the Crown Court, England and Wales, 2009 to 2013 | |
| Number of young people tried at the Crown court4, 5 | |
| 1 Excludes cases that were discontinued, where the charge was withdrawn, where the defendant failed to appear, and committals for trial to the Crown court. 2 The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. 3 A child or young person may only be tried in the adult magistrates courts where they are a co-defendant with an adult and the court has decided that it is in the interests of justice to keep the defendants together. 4 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and can be subject to change over time. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 5 The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences it is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe. | |
We are considering the recommendations made by the recent inquiry by parliamentarians, chaired by Lord Carlile, including the recommendation concerning where cases involving children and young people are heard.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 9 July 2014, Official Report, column 326W, on young offenders, (1) on what date each adult male establishment was first designated both as a prison and a young offender institution; and if he will make a statement; [206251]
(2) how many young offenders were held in each establishment on the latest day for which figures are available. [206297]
Andrew Selous: This information is not immediately available. I will write to the right hon. Gentleman when all the relevant information is available.
International Development
Billing
Mr Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the value is of duplicate supplier payments identified by her Department since 2010; and what proportion of such payments have since been recovered in each of the last two financial years. [205975]
Lynne Featherstone: Duplicate payments to suppliers are shown in the following table:
| Financial year | Value (£) |
The proportion of duplicate payments recovered over the last four years is 98.74%.
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Developing Countries: Abortion
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development with reference to the answer to My hon. Friend the Member for Southend West (Mr Amess) of 31 March 2014, Official Report, column 459W, on Developing Countries: Abortion, whether the Government's efforts to prevent sex-selective abortion includes investigating organisations that do not recognise the illegality of sex-selection abortion and may be performing such operations under the mistaken belief that they are legal. [206100]
Lynne Featherstone: Where abortion is permitted we can support programmes that make safe abortion more accessible—this may include support to increase awareness of the circumstances under which abortion is allowed. UKAID cannot be used to procure illegal services.
Overseas Aid
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to ensure that UK aid spending is used in the manner intended. [205922]
Lynne Featherstone: DFID has rigorous internal systems and processes to ensure that its aid reaches the intended beneficiaries and delivers results. A business case is mandatory for all new funding proposals, and all cases over five million pounds are approved at ministerial level. Once a programme is under way a formal review is required annually and at completion, which assesses and records whether funds have been used for their intended purposes and the results that have been delivered. Assurance that our aid money is being used for the intended purposes is gained from a number of independent providers including Internal Audit Department.
DFID has commissioned a package of reforms to further improve programme leadership, processes and capability and strengthen our oversight of spending.
Procurement
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department paid to (a) G4S, (b) Serco, (c) Sodexo, (d) GEOAmey, (e) Capita, (f) Atos, (g) Mitie, (h) Working Links, (i) A4E, (j) MTC Amey, (k) GEO Group and (l) Carillion in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13 and (iv) 2013-14. [205855]
Lynne Featherstone: The following table details the amounts paid by DFID to the suppliers listed above, over the periods specified.
| £ | ||||
| 2010-11 | 2011-12 | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | |
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Social Networking
Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Twitter accounts are run by her Department; how much her Department spends annually on (a) Twitter accounts and (b) all social media; and how many people in her Department are employed to work on social media. [206052]
Lynne Featherstone: The Department for International Development (DFID) is currently responsible for monitoring and updating the following corporate Twitter accounts:
@DFID_UK
@DFID_Press
@DFID_response
@DFIDNepal
@DFIDEthiopia
@DFID_PSD
@DFID_innovation
@DFID research.
St Helena
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many biosecurity breaches have been reported in (a) Rupert's Valley and (b) Prosperous Bay Plain in each year since the start of the airport construction process in St Helena. [206528]
Mr Swayne: The information is as follows:
(a) One;
(b) One
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether there are any plans for beacons associated with airport construction on St Helena to be located within national conservation areas on the island. [206529]
Mr Swayne: Navigational lights will be installed on natural obstacles within the national conservation areas on the island.
The navigational lights will be located at The Barn, Great Stone Top, Horse Point, Bencoolen, and King and Queen's Rocks. All of these areas are within the Airport Development Area agreed by St Helena Government.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the known habitat of the mole spider is estimated to have been destroyed during the construction of the airport on St Helena. [206533]
Mr Swayne: When construction started at the airport site there were three known mole spider communities within the Airport Development Area. One community lost 0.1% of its habitat, one community’s habitat remained untouched and the final community lost 90% of its habitat. Mitigation measures were implemented to reduce the effects of the losses on this last community. This included the creation of similar habitat where subsequent monitoring shows that the mole spider has successfully migrated into this and adjacent areas.
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Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the current cost is of transporting a container of goods to St Helena; and what estimate her Department has made of such a cost once the RMS St Helena is decommissioned. [206534]
Mr Swayne: Costs of transportation depends on volume and place of origin. Expressions of interest for ocean freight services are currently being reviewed by the Saint Helena Government.
Voluntary Work: Young People
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much her Department has spent on the VSO ICS programme in each year since 2010. [205906]
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Lynne Featherstone: DFID spending on the International Citizen Service (ICS) programme since 2010 is as follows:
| £ | |
| 1 To date. | |
All of the spending in 2010-11, 2011-12 and £2,135,397 in 2012-13 was on the ICS pilot scheme with the remainder being the current contracted programme.
All of this information is published on the development tracker website:
http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/