Tuesday Volume 677 9 June 2020 No. 66 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 9 June 2020 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2020 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 139 9 JUNE 2020 140 more accessible for people who need that protection. House of Commons There is ongoing work with regard to aspects of legal aid, which we will return to later in the year, but I assure Tuesday 9 June 2020 him that we are doing everything we can to assist the victims of domestic abuse, and not just in terms of access to legal proceedings. The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock Feryal Clark: There is real concern that a six-month PRAYERS time limit on a summary charge could mean that some domestic abuse victims may lose out on the opportunity to take charge during lockdown. What steps is the [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Department taking to address those concerns? Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Order, 4 June). Robert Buckland: The hon. Lady raises an important [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] point about summary-only offences, which, although relatively speaking might be not as serious as some other types of charge, have real effects upon the victims Oral Answers to Questions of domestic abuse. I have certainly drawn my mind to that issue throughout this crisis. I am confident, from the police activity I see, that arrests and charges continue JUSTICE and that a number of perpetrators are being charged within that time. Nothing has led me to believe that there should be a problem with regard to timely charging The Secretary of State was asked— within the six-month time limit. That can be done, and Early Prisoner Release: Domestic Violence then these people can be brought to justice. James Murray (Ealing North) (Lab/Co-op): What Secure Estate for Young People steps he has taken as part of the early prison release scheme to ensure that potential victims of violence in domestic settings are protected during the covid-19 Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck (South Shields) (Lab): What lockdown period. [902951] recent assessment he has made of the trends in the level of violence on the secure estate for young people. Feryal Clark (Enfield North) (Lab): What steps he [902952] has taken as part of the early prison release scheme to ensure potential victims of violence in domestic settings are protected during the covid-19 lockdown period. The Minister of State, Ministry of Justice (Lucy [902957] Frazer): Levels of violence in our youth estate are too high. We are determined to improve safety by investing The Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice in staff, education, psychology services and mental health (Robert Buckland): Domestic abuse is an abhorrent support and by trialling secure schools, with the first to crime, and I am determined to better protect and support open at Medway. I was pleased to read parts of the the victims of abuse and their children and to bring inspector’s report after he attended Cookham Wood, perpetrators to justice. I also recognise that measures Wetherby and Parc young offenders institutions as part announced to tackle covid-19 can cause anxiety for of a number of scrutiny visits last month, in which he those experiencing or feeling at risk of domestic abuse, described all three sites as “calm and well ordered”, and and therefore I have excluded any prisoner convicted he saw staff interacting with children in a “caring, of an offence relating to domestic violence, including patient and professional” way. harassment and stalking, from the scheme. I have also excluded anyone who is identified by prisons, police or Mrs Lewell-Buck: In January, inspectors found that other agencies as a domestic abuse risk from release children were being confined in their cells for up to under the scheme. 23 hours per day and were subject to restraint techniques that cause injury and serious harm to children. The James Murray [V]: I thank the Secretary of State for Government know that, and yet they continue to permit his answer. As he will know, an increase in domestic the use of those techniques. This is state-sanctioned abuse has been widely reported during the covid-19 child abuse. The Charlie Taylor review was due to outbreak. How many conversations have he and the report on this last summer. Where is that report? Home Secretary had about suspending “no recourse to public funds” for any victims of domestic abuse to whom that condition applies? Lucy Frazer: The hon. Member is right to point out a number of reports in this area. Her Majesty’s inspectorate Robert Buckland: The hon. Gentleman will be glad to of prisons thematic report in January on the separation know that the Home Secretary and I discuss many of children in YOIs made very difficult reading. Because issues relating to domestic abuse. With regard to public of that, we took a number of immediate actions, including funding and access to justice, he will know that in a enhancing local and national oversight and establishing large number of measures involving police activity on standardised monthly data collection on separation. We domestic violence prevention orders, legal aid is not a commissioned Charlie Taylor to conduct a review into barrier to those orders being made. Indeed, emergency the use of pain-inducing techniques, and we will be applications make the domestic abuse test somewhat publishing that report very shortly. 141 Oral Answers 9 JUNE 2020 Oral Answers 142 Sir Robert Neill (Bromley and Chislehurst) (Con): I hours every day. In the secure children’s homes there is appreciate that, as the number of young people in the almost a normal regime, with 12 to 14 hours out of cell. secure estate has reduced, the cohort has become often We have published our national strategy for recovery, more difficult to deal with. None the less, during its and visits and education will be some of the first things current inquiry the Select Committee has heard compelling that return in the children’s estate. evidence that violence remains too high. One of the concerns about Cookham Wood, which the Minister Mr Lammy: These extra limits on contact must mean referred to, is the shortage and regular redeployment of that now, more than ever, holding children in custody staff—the churn and the inability to build relationships. should be a last resort. One third of all children on the Will the Minister look again at the need for a serious youth estate are being held on remand without a sentence. approach—a proper strategy for staffing in all our We know that two thirds of them will not receive a prisons but especially in the secure estate, where the custodial sentence. With criminal trials slowly being building of relationships is particularly important. restarted, what action is the Minister taking, along with the Lord Chief Justice, to ensure that children held on Lucy Frazer: My hon. Friend the Chair of the Select remand are prioritised for criminal trials? Committee recognises an important point. Weare ensuring at the moment that we do not send young people to custody unless they have committed the most serious Lucy Frazer: The right hon. Gentleman is right to say crimes. As a result, more than 50% of the youth in our that custody should be a last resort. I am pleased to say estate have committed violent crimes. That leaves us that it is a last resort, which is why we have a much with a challenging cohort. We want to provide more smaller number of youth in custody at the moment: just bespoke, individual support with early interventions for over 700 across our estate. He makes an important those in our care. As my hon. Friend will know, we are point about remand, and I am pleased to say that, committed to establishing secure schools, which would certainly in the adult estate, the judiciary have looked at expand our focus on education and individual support. and fast-tracked remand cases. I am also pleased to report that the Youth Justice Board has looked at those We have increased staffing in the youth estate by 27% who are currently held on remand, and the youth offending and we are professionalising that service with a new teams will be reviewing whether any applications can be foundation degree to ensure that those who work in our made to help those people who are on remand and can youth custody services deliver the right support. be released back into the community. Mr David Lammy (Tottenham) (Lab): As children in the general population continue to return to school, Alexander Stafford (Rother Valley) (Con): Does my those in youth offender institutions remain locked up in hon. and learned Friend agree that it is vital that prison their cells for almost the whole day, without any access officers have the right skills to manage young people? to education. An inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate How are we training prison officers who work on the of Prisons last month found that children in Cookham youth estate to ensure that we cut future offending rates Wood were spending just 40 minutes out of their cells. and increase rehabilitation? Can the Minister confirm that that was immediately rectified? The Children’s Commissioner for England Lucy Frazer: My hon. Friend makes an important found point about the training of prison officers: it is important “serious consequences for children’s rights, well-being and long-term that they get the right training to help turn lives around.