Justice Committee: weekly update
14 December 2018
At the end of sitting weeks the Justice Committee publishes a brief summary of its activities in the form of a weekly update.
This week
On Tuesday this week we questioned officials about the problems at HMP Birmingham and heard from the Minister Rory Stewart and Michael Spurr (Head of HM Prison and Probation Service) as part of our inquiry on the Prison Population 2022: planning for the future.
We had a private briefing with National Audit Office officials where we discussed the contract between G4S and the Ministry of Justice for the management of HMP Birmingham.
We have launched an inquiry Bailiffs: enforcement of debts
Oral evidence
On Tuesday morning we heard evidence on the prison population and the events at HMP Birmingham. This session had two purposes:
- To explore the events leading up to the urgent notification at HMP Birmingham; and
- To conclude the oral evidence stage of our inquiry on the Prison Population 2022: planning for the future.
Shortly before the session we published a letter from the National Audit Office Comptroller and Auditor General, Sir Amyas Morse, about the management of the contract between the MoJ and G4S. You can read it here.
You can read all the evidence we have taken on HMP Birmingham here.
You can read all the evidence on the Prison Population 2022: planning for the future here.
Published correspondence
- Letter from the Comptroller and Auditor General, regarding HMP Birmingham
- Letter from Rt Hon David Gauke MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, on The Law Commission
- Letter from Rory Stewart MP, Minister of State for Justice, on Prison estate modernisation
- Letter from Rt Hon David Gauke MP, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, on controlling the costs of defamation cases
- Letter from Richard Heaton, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, on two new Director General roles in HMPPS
- Evidence as part of our inquiry, Prison Population 2022: planning for the future:
- Maslaha - written evidence
- Mr John Mitchell Skinner - written evidence
Government responses
On Tuesday the Government published its response to our report on Disclosure of Evidence in Criminal Cases.
Inquiries with open calls for written evidence
We do not have any inquiries with open calls for written evidence.
We have just launched an inquiry on Bailiffs: enforcement of debt. Read the terms of reference.
Future business
We are meeting on Tuesday 18th December to take evidence from the new Director of the Serious Fraud Office, Lisa Osofsky.
In this session we will consider the work of the SFO and give the new director a chance to state her priorities.
To watch online, visit: https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Commons
If you wish to watch in person from the public gallery of the Wilson Room, Portcullis House you can. Please read this guidance on visiting Parliament.
Further information
Image: iStockPhoto