Tuesday Volume 594 17 March 2015 No. 126 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 17 March 2015 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2015 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 621 17 MARCH 2015 622 Public authorities, the Crown Prosecution Service and House of Commons the rest of the prosecuting authorities must work on the presumption that when young people say something, it Tuesday 17 March 2015 is true and not false, and we should work on that basis. Tim Loughton: In 2011 the child sexual exploitation The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock plan issued by the Government tasked the Ministry of Justice to do certain things in respect of child sexual PRAYERS exploitation, including having a more practical and effective response to witness intimidation, supporting witnesses throughout the criminal justice process, for [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] the CPS to promote within its organisation examples of good practice in relation to child sexual exploitation and work to increase the use of special measures in appropriate cases. Will the Minister give us an update Oral Answers to Questions on what progress has been made against those specific measures? Simon Hughes: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman JUSTICE for his continuing interest in this issue. As well as the working group he mentioned, which found that there The Secretary of State was asked— were gaps in the availability of services and commissioning, the Government have strengthened the non-statutory Child Grooming services and put more money in to make sure they are able more competently to deal with this. The figure I 1. Bob Blackman (Harrow East) (Con): What steps have is £7 million—that was an announcement we his Department is taking to protect children who are at made in December—which includes increased funds for risk of grooming. [908083] the existing female rape support centres and greater support for organisations supporting victims in areas 6. Tim Loughton (East Worthing and Shoreham) where there is a high prevalence of child abuse, such (Con): What steps his Department is taking to protect as Rotherham. Secondly, as well as the new offence of children who are at risk of grooming. [908088] sexual communication with a child, we are legislating to remove references to child prostitution and child The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Simon Hughes): pornography from the Sexual Offences Act and making We have taken action to enable the police to intervene sure that the offence of loitering or soliciting for the earlier to protect children where there is a suspicion that purpose of prostitution applies only to adults. We have grooming has taken place. As a result of the Criminal to protect children. Justice and Courts Act 2015, which amended section 15 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, we have reduced from two to one the number of initial occasions on which the Helen Jones (Warrington North) (Lab): The right defendant meets or communicates with a child considered hon. Gentleman will know that many of the victims in at risk before prosecution can take place. I hope the hon. these cases have been profoundly damaged by their Member for Harrow East (Bob Blackman) believes that experiences and need a great deal of support, including the Government are absolutely committed to making mental health support. Will he ensure that prosecutors sure the law is as tough as it needs be to deal with this do not deter them from accessing that support, as has very serious evil. often happened in the past, but work to ensure that they are supported through the ordeal of going to trial, Bob Blackman: I thank my right hon. Friend for that because that is not only beneficial to them, but ensures answer. I am not sure if he has had a chance to study the that more cases can be prosecuted? report published today by the Communities and Local Government Committee on child sexual exploitation in Simon Hughes: There are two points. First, my right Rotherham. What is clear from that report is the hon. Friend the Secretary of State and all Ministers are catastrophic failure of all public services to protect very clear that when vulnerable individuals go into the vulnerable young girls. It is also clear that Rotherham is criminal justice system we must identify whether in fact not an isolated case. What is apparent is that the victims the issue that needs to be addressed is a mental health have not been provided with the support they require issue or is a drugs issue or something else. So we try to and they were not believed by the authorities and were prevent people from going through the criminal justice not protected when issues came to court. What further system because it is not user-friendly, particularly for action can my right hon. Friend propose that will young people. If there is no alternative, we need to ensure that the victims are given support and protection make sure that steps are taken, for example that youngsters through the justice system? do not have to come to court but can appear from a distance, such as by video-link, and that they are supported Simon Hughes: I am very clear that the point the hon. through the whole of that process, not just through the Gentleman raises is centrally important. I am aware of court case but a considerable time thereafter. the report that has come out today, but I have not read it in full. The failing in the past has been that the young Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP): Has the Minister people have not been listened to and heard and, when considered closer co-operation with the Department for they have spoken out, people have not believed them. Education to make this matter a staple subject in the 623 Oral Answers17 MARCH 2015 Oral Answers 624 curriculum? Would he further consider training for issue, but we have been determined to do so and I voluntary groups so that they can be aware of the believe that the way in which we rehabilitate those telltale signs of grooming? people will be transformational. Simon Hughes: The hon. Gentleman is right to Mr Speaker: The Minister’s virtue is not in doubt. raise that issue. NSPCC research has shown that six in 10 teenagers have been asked for sexual images or Keith Vaz (Leicester East) (Lab): I welcome the videos online. That is an extraordinary figure, and Government’s decision to introduce drug scanners into many of them feel compelled to provide those images as prisons. As the Minister knows, 51% of prisoners report a result of peer group pressure. We are absolutely a drug dependency. Can he tell me how many have convinced across the Government, including in the entered a rehabilitation scheme in the past year, and Department for Education, that personal, social, health how many have been successfully rehabilitated in relation and economic education—of which sex education is a to their use of drugs? part—is an important strategy. We need such an education process in the curriculum in every school to warn youngsters Simon Hughes: I do not have all the details, but I will of the dangers, so that they know how to deal with ensure that the right hon. Gentleman has a detailed them. answer, which I will put in the Library. Yesterday, when I was visiting a women’s prison in Yorkshire, I was Rehabilitation Services looking at how we might improve the way in which we detect drugs. It is difficult because they are often hidden 2. Gareth Johnson (Dartford) (Con): What in very private places. We are absolutely determined to assessment he has made of the performance of new stop drugs coming into prisons over the wall, but also to providers of rehabilitation services in the rehabilitation stop them coming in on the person, which is a serious of short-term prisoners. [908084] issue. I will give him the detailed figures on what progress we are making. The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Simon Hughes): The coalition is committed to transforming rehabilitation Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab): I, in order to reduce reoffending and, consequently, to along with a small group of colleagues from the House, reduce the number of people who are victims of crime. visited Brixton prison towards the back end of last year. Since 1 February under the new system, providers from We saw the benefits of the work that is being undertaken the public, voluntary and private sectors have been in two facilities there: the Clink restaurant and the Bad providing the new transforming rehabilitation services. Boys bakery. Those benefits include a reoffending rate The crucial thing is that all those people who are currently of only about 3%. That is the kind of work that short-term sentenced to less than a year in prison will have support offenders need to give them the chance to restart their when they come out. They are the people who reoffend lives in a positive way. most and who cause the most victims. Payments to providers will be dependent on results. Simon Hughes: Within the Department, I have particular responsibility for all female offenders. I have visited Mr Speaker: I realise that the Minister is not a every single female prison and I am clear that the prisoner, but I am not sure that being forced to answer schemes that rehabilitate people through engaging with so many questions will aid his rehabilitation when he is them and planning for training, work and housing are obviously struggling with a very sore throat.