That this House notes with distress the treatment of Catholic Bishop Julius Jia by the Chinese Government; recognises the important work he has done in the community establishing an orphanage in 1991 for unwanted children; expresses its dismay at his treatment by the Chinese Government who ban him from worshipping and subject him to house arrest; notes that he has spent more than 20 years in jail, being arrested on more than 30 occasions; further notes that as Christmas approaches this is a particularly dangerous time for Bishop Jia; and calls on the Chinese Government to promote religious tolerance and allow Bishop Jia and Catholics across China to practise their faith.

That this House notes with distress the treatment of Catholic Bishop Julius Jia by the Chinese Government; recognises the important work he has done in the community establishing an orphanage in 1991 for unwanted children; expresses its dismay at his treatment by the Chinese Government who ban him from worshipping...

That this House has deep concerns about the structure of the National Offender Management Service, particularly the lack of organisational detail; strongly endorses the work of both the National Probation Service and Her Majesty's Prison Service; and therefore calls upon the Government to ensure that both services receive adequate public funding for their purpose and that the process of contestability is not used as a threat to staff or voluntary sector providers.

That this House has deep concerns about the structure of the National Offender Management Service, particularly the lack of organisational detail; strongly endorses the work of both the National Probation Service and Her Majesty's Prison Service; and therefore calls upon the Government to ensure that both services receive adequate public...

That this House commends the work of Action for Prisoners' Families, the national charity dedicated to supporting prisoners' families, providing them with vital information to help them cope with the trauma of dealing with the imprisonment of a loved one; celebrates the first anniversary of the charity's helpline, which has received over 5,500 calls in its first year, congratulates the publication of The Outsiders, a new series of survival guides for families of prisoners; notes the massive increase in the prison population, now at a record 75,000, which affects ever more families and children who often suffer in silence, feel guilty by association and are isolated and confused by the criminal justice system; welcomes calls for fewer women to be given custodial sentences which separate 17,000 children from their mothers; and calls on the Government and new National Offender Management Service to take account of the needs of children and families affected by imprisonment through the provision of more information by placing prisoners closer to home and encouraging the use of more community service sentences.

That this House commends the work of Action for Prisoners' Families, the national charity dedicated to supporting prisoners' families, providing them with vital information to help them cope with the trauma of dealing with the imprisonment of a loved one; celebrates the first anniversary of the charity's helpline, which has...

That this House notes with dismay that the week beginning 1st March is the 10th anniversary of the arrest and detention by the Turkish Government of Leyla Zana, the first Kurdish women to be elected to the Turkish Parliament; and calls upon the UK Government to do all it can to secure her release.

That this House notes with dismay that the week beginning 1st March is the 10th anniversary of the arrest and detention by the Turkish Government of Leyla Zana, the first Kurdish women to be elected to the Turkish Parliament; and calls upon the UK Government to do all it can...

That this House notes that the 60,000 sentenced prisoners in England and Wales are barred from voting under the Forfeiture Act 1870, which considers prisoners to be civically dead and so morally abhorrent that they do not deserved the right to vote; notes additionally that the UK is only one of eight European countries automatically to disenfranchise sentenced prisoners, the others being Armenia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Luxembourg and Romania; understands that the ban does not enhance security, punishment, or act as a deterrent; is concerned that it impedes the rehabilitative objectives of the Prison Service by failing to encourage prisoners to be active responsible citizens on release; notes, in particular, that the Government has embarked on an ambitious programme of civic renewal to improve community cohesion and that the notion of civic death undermines this agenda by excluding those who are already on the margins of society and encouraging them to be seen as alien to the communities to which they will return to live; and therefore calls upon Her Majesty's Government to review the merits of the ban.

That this House notes that the 60,000 sentenced prisoners in England and Wales are barred from voting under the Forfeiture Act 1870, which considers prisoners to be civically dead and so morally abhorrent that they do not deserved the right to vote; notes additionally that the UK is only one...

That this House welcomes the report of the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers; notes that the report highlights the fact that the good work of the Prison Service is being undermined by ever increasing prison population pressures; is appalled that during 2003, on average 82 out of the 136 prisons in England and Wales were overcrowded; acknowledges that any prison overcrowding is exacerbated by staff shortages; recognises that overcrowding and staff shortages result in prisoners spending increasing proportions of the day locked in their cells; understands that prisoners are being moved around the country in order to free up spaces in local prisons, causing more prisoners to be held further away from home, making it extremely difficult to maintain family contact, a factor recognised as preventing re-offending; is shocked that almost two people a week kill themselves in our prisons and one in four women in prison self-harms; and calls for an urgent review of how those with mental illnesses are treated.

That this House welcomes the report of the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers; notes that the report highlights the fact that the good work of the Prison Service is being undermined by ever increasing prison population pressures; is appalled that during 2003, on average 82 out of the 136...

That this House notes that about 40,000 of the 74,000 prisoners in England and Wales admit to hazardous drinking, carrying the risk of physical or mental harm, and that of these about half have a severe alcohol dependency; further notes that the latest British Crime Survey found that almost half of the victims of violent crime say the perpetrator was under the influence of alcohol at the time the offence was committed; further notes that the annual estimated cost of alcohol-related crime and disorder is around ??7.3 billion; is alarmed that the Prison Service has no alcohol harm reduction strategy and that a recent internal Prison Service survey found that just one of the 138 gaols in England and Wales had dedicated policies in place to provide treatment or support to prisoners with drink problems; understands that for all these reasons the Chief Inspector of Prisons has expressed concern that, at present, alcohol treatment programmes are tied into programmes designed for drug abuse so that there is nothing specifically ring-fenced for prisoners with alcohol problems; further notes, in particular, that on release from prison people with alcohol problems struggle to receive help because of the chronic shortage of services in the community; and therefore calls upon Her Majesty's Government urgently to introduce an alcohol harm reduction strategy for the Prison Service, supported by the NHS, and backed up by sufficient extra investment to provide prisons with ring-fenced funding for programmes to assist offenders with alcohol problems.

That this House notes that about 40,000 of the 74,000 prisoners in England and Wales admit to hazardous drinking, carrying the risk of physical or mental harm, and that of these about half have a severe alcohol dependency; further notes that the latest British Crime Survey found that almost half...

That this House notes the recent decision by the Home Office to grant Kenny Richey British citizenship; further notes that Mr Richey has spent 16 years on death row in the State of Ohio for the alleged murder of a two-year-old girl killed in a fire at her mother's apartment; notes that following the case having been heard at the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals on 7th May a final decision is expected before August as to whether he should face execution; notes that important forensic and eye witness evidence has come to light since the original verdict was reached which casts serious doubt on the safety of the conviction; notes, however, that under US law new evidence produced after a certain time does not provide grounds for a reversal; and therefore calls on the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister to make direct and robust representation to the state authorities, the Governor of Ohio and the President of the United States on behalf of Kenny Richey at the earliest opportunity, the eventual objective being to secure clemency.

That this House notes the recent decision by the Home Office to grant Kenny Richey British citizenship; further notes that Mr Richey has spent 16 years on death row in the State of Ohio for the alleged murder of a two-year-old girl killed in a fire at her mother's apartment;...

That this House notes the plight of Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman, a person on death row in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, and expresses its concern that he is to be executed on 18th June; notes that the only evidence implicating him as the assailant was the testimony of his co-defendant who got a six-year deal in exchange for his testimony; further notes that there is blood evidence, that was never presented to the jury, indicating that he was not the assailant; that his defence lawyer failed to conduct any investigation and prepared no defence, that the prosecution lied to and manipulated the jurors and eight of them have signed affidavits expressing doubts about their verdict, and that there are serious concerns that he may not have received a fair trial that accords with the due process clause of the United States Constitution or with the standards of international human rights law; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to plead for the life of Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman and ask that his execution be stayed and clemency granted.

That this House notes the plight of Abu-Ali Abdur'Rahman, a person on death row in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, and expresses its concern that he is to be executed on 18th June; notes that the only evidence implicating him as the assailant was the testimony of his co-defendant who got a...

That this House notes that more than a year after the cessation of international armed conflict in Afghanistan, more than 600 persons seized in the course of the conflict are still detained at the United States facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; further notes that persons subsequently arrested in other jurisdictions are being sent to Guantanamo Bay and detained without trial; expresses its concern at the means by which individuals were transported far away from their families and at the conditions of their detention; notes the refusal of the United States to permit a determination to be made on the status of individual prisoners by a competent tribunal, describing them instead as unlawful combatants, a status not contemplated in international law; is forced to conclude that the detention of such persons is arbitary and therefore unlawful; and urges the United States authorities to facilitate the release of all prisoners and return by agreement to their country of origin unless they are wanted for war crimes or terrorist offences in which case they should be given their legal rights and charged.

That this House notes that more than a year after the cessation of international armed conflict in Afghanistan, more than 600 persons seized in the course of the conflict are still detained at the United States facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; further notes that persons subsequently arrested in other jurisdictions...

That this House notes that Mr Balbir Singh Bains, a British resident of over 25 years, was arrested in 1999 on a visit to India by the Indian authorities on charges of terrorism which were subsequently proved groundless in court; expresses its deep concern that Mr Bains has yet to be granted a visa to return to his wife and children in Britain; and further welcomes his family's presentation of a 5000 signature petition to the Prime Minister.

That this House notes that Mr Balbir Singh Bains, a British resident of over 25 years, was arrested in 1999 on a visit to India by the Indian authorities on charges of terrorism which were subsequently proved groundless in court; expresses its deep concern that Mr Bains has yet to...

That this House calls upon Her Majesty's Government to amend Clause 126 of the Criminal Justice Bill so that the reform and rehabilitation of offenders is a separate and distinct purpose of sentencing, alongside punishment, crime reduction, protection of the public and reparation.

That this House calls upon Her Majesty's Government to amend Clause 126 of the Criminal Justice Bill so that the reform and rehabilitation of offenders is a separate and distinct purpose of sentencing, alongside punishment, crime reduction, protection of the public and reparation.

That this House is appalled at the fact that 94 men, women and children took their own lives in prison in England and Wales in 2002; is very disturbed that this figure represents an increase of over 20 per cent. on 2001, and is the highest ever annual figure; is alarmed that almost half of these deaths were of people aged 30 or younger; believes that this dramatic increase is caused in part by prison overcrowding, which has worsened considerably during the year; recognises that as prisons receive an ever-increasing number of new inmates every week, it is difficult for staff to carry out thorough risk assessments; understands that some prison regimes are becoming increasingly impoverished as a result of higher numbers of prisoners, combined with staff shortages, and realises that many prisoners are spending long periods each day locked in their cells; is concerned that the prison population is rising rapidly in relation to the crime rate as a result of an ever more punitive approach to custodial sentences; further believes that this level of prison suicide is unacceptable in a civilised society; and welcomes the work of the Howard League for Penal Reform that highlights these shocking figures.

That this House is appalled at the fact that 94 men, women and children took their own lives in prison in England and Wales in 2002; is very disturbed that this figure represents an increase of over 20 per cent. on 2001, and is the highest ever annual figure; is...

That this House regrets that the number of children in prison has doubled in a decade to stand at 2,609 in 2002, far more than any other European country; notes that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed serious concern at the high and increasing numbers of children in custody at earlier ages for lesser offences; further regrets the Government's failure to drop their reservation to article 37(c) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child; notes that, in two years 296 chldren sustained injuries following restraint and control in prison; further notes with concern that since 1997, 93 young people have committed suicide while in custody; regrets that many of the children in custody are the casualties of an under-resourced and over-pressured children protection system; believes that custody should be a measure of last resort; welcomes the High Court ruling in favour of the Howard League that the Children Act 1989 applies fully to children in prison and young offender institutions; and calls on the Government to meet its obligations under the UN convention and fully comply with the High Court ruling.

That this House regrets that the number of children in prison has doubled in a decade to stand at 2,609 in 2002, far more than any other European country; notes that the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed serious concern at the high and increasing numbers of...

That this House notes with extreme concern reports that the authorities in Indonesia have subjected British academic, Doctor Lesley McCulloch, to beatings, sexual harassment and long interrogations while in custody on suspicion of visa violations; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to do all that it can to bring about improvements in the conditions under which she is being held and to secure her release from custody.

That this House notes with extreme concern reports that the authorities in Indonesia have subjected British academic, Doctor Lesley McCulloch, to beatings, sexual harassment and long interrogations while in custody on suspicion of visa violations; and calls on Her Majesty's Government to do all that it can to bring about...

That this House notes that many people with either learning difficulties or personality disorders are currently being held in United Kingdom prisons but, because of safety or security reasons, are often kept in cellular confinement for 23 to 24 hours a day; believes such a situation is both wrong and unacceptable for detainees, some of whom have not yet been found guilty by a court, and unfair to the prison staff who work in these institutions; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to act swiftly to instead provide an adequate number of beds for such people in secure accommodation other than prisons, supervised by trained mental health staff.

That this House notes that many people with either learning difficulties or personality disorders are currently being held in United Kingdom prisons but, because of safety or security reasons, are often kept in cellular confinement for 23 to 24 hours a day; believes such a situation is both wrong and...

That this House notes with concern that the number of men, women and children in prison has reached a record of 70,000; and calls on the Government to implement the five-point programme proposed by the Howard League for Penal Reform, including using executive release powers for prisoners serving less than three months, recommending to the courts that women and children should only be sentenced to prison in exceptional circumstances for serious and violent offences, urging sentencers to reduce sentence lengths for all but the most serious offenders, introducing legislation to put a statutory limit on the numbers that prisons can hold and implementing the Prison Governors' Association proposal to remove from magistrates their power to send people to prison for short periods.

That this House notes with concern that the number of men, women and children in prison has reached a record of 70,000; and calls on the Government to implement the five-point programme proposed by the Howard League for Penal Reform, including using executive release powers for prisoners serving less than...