MoJ recall
Public Accounts Committee
Closed
Inquiry
The Committee will question senior officials from the Ministry of Justice, Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service and Her Majesty’s Prison Service on a range of current issues in the Department’s remit including the impact of Covid 19 on courts and prisons; the HMCTS transformation programme and the prison estate. …
Read more
5
Recommendations
13
Conclusions
1
Report
1
Oral session
1
Letter
1
Event
Activity timeline 4 events
2 Sep
2021
2021
24 Mar
2021
2021
Report published
8 Mar
2021
2021
11 Feb
2021
2021
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
11 Feb 2021
View on parliament.uk
MoJ recall; NAO Estimate and Strategy
Antonia Romeo · Ministry of Justice
Daniel Lambauer · National Audit Office
Gareth Davies · Department for Transport
James McEwen · Ministry of Justice
Jo Farrar · HM Prison and Probation Service
Kevin Sadler · Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service
Reports 1 report · click to expand
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fifty-Second Report - Key challenges facing the Ministry of Just… | HC 1190 | 24 Mar 2021 | 18 | Responded |
Recommendations & Conclusions
8 results
5
Recommendation
Accepted
Fifty-Second Report - Key challeng…
We remain concerned that the maintenance backlog poses a real threat to achieving a safe...
We remain concerned that the maintenance backlog poses a real threat to achieving a safe and secure prison estate able to accommodate future prison populations. The latest spending review settlement included a welcome boost of £4 billion in capital spending …
Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation and aims for implementation by Summer 2021. It states it closely monitors prison population forecasts and collaborates with criminal justice partners to refine demand understanding, and will allocate £315 million in capital funding to begin tackling the maintenance backlog while developing a robust long-term estate strategy.
HM Treasury
View details
7
Conclusion
Accepted
Fifty-Second Report - Key challeng…
The Ministry and HMPPS have a duty of care to those in prisons.
The Ministry and HMPPS have a duty of care to those in prisons. We have reported in the past that improving the mental health of prisoners is a difficult and complex task, and that it is essential to reducing reoffending …
Read more
Government Response
The government states it has already implemented a recommendation to accelerate work on prisoner mental health. It details existing initiatives such as in-cell activities, Samaritans Listeners scheme, secure video calls for family contact, the Gender Management in Custody model for women, and telemedicine, committing to continue monitoring their effectiveness.
HM Treasury
View details
8
Conclusion
Accepted
Fifty-Second Report - Key challeng…
HMPPS’ data shows that during 2020, there were 67 self-inflicted deaths in custody, and 58,879...
HMPPS’ data shows that during 2020, there were 67 self-inflicted deaths in custody, and 58,879 self-harm incidents in the 12 months to September 2020. We heard from HMPPS that while these levels are high, they are showing signs of declining. …
Read more
Government Response
The government states it has already implemented a recommendation to accelerate work on prisoner mental health. It details existing initiatives such as in-cell activities, Samaritans Listeners scheme, secure video calls for family contact, the Gender Management in Custody model for women, and telemedicine, committing to continue monitoring their effectiveness.
HM Treasury
View details
9
Conclusion
Accepted
Fifty-Second Report - Key challeng…
The pandemic has had a significant impact on the court system, exacerbating an already growing...
The pandemic has had a significant impact on the court system, exacerbating an already growing backlog in cases, particularly in the criminal courts. Stakeholders are concerned that it could take years to clear the backlog that has now accumulated. The …
Read more
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation (from a related item) and states the Permanent Secretary already provided an update to the Committee on May 18, 2021, on plans to reduce court backlogs. It further details ongoing efforts, including ramping up hearing capacity, utilising Nightingale courts, and aims to provide another update in summer 2021.
HM Treasury
View details
11
Conclusion
Accepted
Fifty-Second Report - Key challeng…
The Ministry appears to place significant focus on the ability of technology to manage the...
The Ministry appears to place significant focus on the ability of technology to manage the increased demand on the court system, through remote hearings and other technology-based initiatives it says will drive up productivity. It told us that user feedback …
Read more
Government Response
The government details ongoing work to manage the reform programme, including an additional £8 million investment in data infrastructure, the publication of an evaluation framework in May 2021, and plans for a further update in autumn 2021.
HM Treasury
View details
13
Conclusion
Accepted
Fifty-Second Report - Key challeng…
The Ministry’s new accounting officer told us of her commitment to collect good quality, consistent...
The Ministry’s new accounting officer told us of her commitment to collect good quality, consistent data to support the reform programme, including data on user satisfaction and justice outcomes. While we welcome this renewed commitment, we are disappointed that the …
Read more
Government Response
The government agrees with the implied recommendation to explain its management of the pandemic's impact on court reform and its response to the Digital Justice report. It has invested an extra £8 million in data infrastructure, published the reform evaluation framework in May 2021, and intends to publish a further update in autumn 2021.
HM Treasury
View details
14
Conclusion
Accepted
Fifty-Second Report - Key challeng…
The 2020 spending review included £4 billion in capital funding to support the provision of...
The 2020 spending review included £4 billion in capital funding to support the provision of 18,000 new prison places over four years. But beyond this isolated multi-year commitment, the one-year spending review settlement makes it difficult for the Ministry and …
Read more
Government Response
The government addresses the uncertainty in prison demand projections by stating it already closely monitors forecasts and works with criminal justice partners, including the Home Office, to refine its understanding of the impact of 20,000 new police officers through an ongoing Shared Outcomes Fund programme.
HM Treasury
View details
17
Conclusion
Accepted
Fifty-Second Report - Key challeng…
The pandemic and increasing demand on the justice system will continue to put pressure on...
The pandemic and increasing demand on the justice system will continue to put pressure on staff who are at the heart of ensuring prisons are well run, court backlogs are addressed, and probation services are effective. HMPPS told us of …
Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges the pressures on staff, agreeing with the committee's sentiments and detailing significant ongoing work and an extensive programme of support services already provided to maintain staff wellbeing during the pandemic, committing to continue this focus.
HM Treasury
View details
Correspondence 1 letter
8 Mar 2021
Correspondence from Antonia Romeo, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, re follow-up letter MoJ recall, dated 3 March 2021
Parliament page