To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of capacity of early release provisions on local probation and police services in North Herefordshire; and upon the adequacy of available resources for those services to manage additional caseloads, including electronic monitoring...

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of capacity of early release provisions on local probation and police services in North Herefordshire; and upon the adequacy of available resources for those services to manage additional caseloads, including electronic monitoring...

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking with the Home Secretary to ensure that police and probation services have adequate capacity, including in staffing and funding, to effectively manage the number of offenders being released on licence from October 2026.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking with the Home Secretary to ensure that police and probation services have adequate capacity, including in staffing and funding, to effectively manage the number of offenders being released on licence from October 2026.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to create referral pathways within custody suites and local probation services for Armed Forces veterans in custody to receive specialist support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to create referral pathways within custody suites and local probation services for Armed Forces veterans in custody to receive specialist support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of training for prison and probation staff to better understand the needs of the Armed Forces community.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of training for prison and probation staff to better understand the needs of the Armed Forces community.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of Armed Forces-friendly employment practices in prison and probation services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of Armed Forces-friendly employment practices in prison and probation services.

Lords statement on the electronic monitoring of offenders.

Lords statement on the electronic monitoring of offenders.

My Lords, we are aware that more than 5,000 released offenders were not fitted with tags in the first half of this year and consequently went unmonitored on their release. With the pressure that the early release scheme has placed on the system, that number is liable to have increased....

My Lords, we are aware that more than 5,000 released offenders were not fitted with tags in the first half of this year and consequently went unmonitored on their release. With the pressure that the early release scheme has placed on the system, that number is liable to have increased....

There are various reasons why individuals who have an electronic monitoring order are not yet tagged, including not being at their address when officers arrive or being within in the contractual 48-hour period for installation. They may have been recalled, or the tag may have been tampered with or cut...

There are various reasons why individuals who have an electronic monitoring order are not yet tagged, including not being at their address when officers arrive or being within in the contractual 48-hour period for installation. They may have been recalled, or the tag may have been tampered with or cut...

My Lords, the Government now seem to recognise that home tagging after a prisoner’s release has serious problems. First, until released offenders can be tagged at home, they can be a frightening menace to their victims. Secondly, if they have no stable home, they can prove very difficult to tag...

My Lords, the Government now seem to recognise that home tagging after a prisoner’s release has serious problems. First, until released offenders can be tagged at home, they can be a frightening menace to their victims. Secondly, if they have no stable home, they can prove very difficult to tag...

Home tagging was instituted under the previous Government and is part of the Serco contract, as we have discussed before. The Government agree that tagging at source is the right approach, and that is what Minister McKinnell said yesterday. We are rolling that out and are doing it in an...

Home tagging was instituted under the previous Government and is part of the Serco contract, as we have discussed before. The Government agree that tagging at source is the right approach, and that is what Minister McKinnell said yesterday. We are rolling that out and are doing it in an...

I remain concerned that the problem is constantly being framed as a lack of prison capacity, but there needs be a very different narrative which includes a major focus on reducing reoffending and addressing what underlies so much offending. Can the Minister say what is being done to ensure that,...

I remain concerned that the problem is constantly being framed as a lack of prison capacity, but there needs be a very different narrative which includes a major focus on reducing reoffending and addressing what underlies so much offending. Can the Minister say what is being done to ensure that,...

I hesitate to correct the right reverend Prelate—I know that is not good form, especially not coming from me—but I did not frame the problem as part of the prison capacity problem. I framed the issues around tagging as being related to our earned progression model. This gives me an...

I hesitate to correct the right reverend Prelate—I know that is not good form, especially not coming from me—but I did not frame the problem as part of the prison capacity problem. I framed the issues around tagging as being related to our earned progression model. This gives me an...

My Lords, the Government have the right idea about tagging, and I support the Minister in saying that. However, I think there are serious problems in the operation of it now and the ambition for it for the future. First of all, tags are not being fitted, and if they...

My Lords, the Government have the right idea about tagging, and I support the Minister in saying that. However, I think there are serious problems in the operation of it now and the ambition for it for the future. First of all, tags are not being fitted, and if they...

I am getting there.

I am getting there.

I know, but if the noble Baroness keeps interrupting, I will not get there.

I know, but if the noble Baroness keeps interrupting, I will not get there.

Oh!

Oh!

My question is: what are the Government’s ambition and strategy for rolling out tags in the future? I have not seen one.

My question is: what are the Government’s ambition and strategy for rolling out tags in the future? I have not seen one.

I disagreed with the right reverend Prelate and now I am going to disagree with the policeman—former policeman. I do not accept that characterisation. The situation on the specific question that the noble Lord raises about knowing where tagged people are is that by Christmas, because we are rolling out...

I disagreed with the right reverend Prelate and now I am going to disagree with the policeman—former policeman. I do not accept that characterisation. The situation on the specific question that the noble Lord raises about knowing where tagged people are is that by Christmas, because we are rolling out...

My Lords, the Minister knows only too well that the private sector is due to pocket an extra £100 million as a consequence of the expansion of the tagging service. As I said only last week, it is on its knees. It is very difficult to see how we can...

My Lords, the Minister knows only too well that the private sector is due to pocket an extra £100 million as a consequence of the expansion of the tagging service. As I said only last week, it is on its knees. It is very difficult to see how we can...

I am sure that my noble friend—my good friend—will understand that I do not want to comment on the negotiations that are under way, but I will say this: the staff of HMPPS have risen to challenges that many of us would find impossible. I pay tribute to them and...

I am sure that my noble friend—my good friend—will understand that I do not want to comment on the negotiations that are under way, but I will say this: the staff of HMPPS have risen to challenges that many of us would find impossible. I pay tribute to them and...