Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 24
24
Deferred
Paragraph: 132
Require the Ministry of Justice to publish scope and timeframe for remand review.
Recommendation
We note from the Government’s response to our ‘Mental health in prison’ Report that it is conducting a review into the use of powers to remand an individual to 78 Women in Prison custody for their own protection under the Bail Act 1976. The Ministry of Justice should set out what the scope is for the review, and the timeframe for its completion and publication.
Government Response Summary
The government accepted the recommendation but responded by detailing actions taken in response to PPO recommendations regarding Baby A and Baby B deaths, including a new policy on Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Units, and the development of a Pregnancy and Post-natal specification, which is unrelated to the requested review.
Paragraph Reference:
132
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
We accept this recommendation. MoJ and HMPPS have accepted and completed all of the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman (PPO) recommendations from the reports into the tragic deaths of Baby A and Baby B, and have since published a new policy on Pregnancy, Mother and Baby Units and Maternal Separation from Children up to the Age of Two in Women’s Prisons that addresses learning from the PPO reports. The new policy forms an important part of our organisational response to the learning from Baby A and Baby B. HMPPS utilised the policy review to undertake further consultation with NHSE, to ensure national learning was addressed where appropriate and that we had the appropriate clinical input. NHSE have responded in a number of ways to the recommendations of the PPO reports on the tragic deaths of Baby A and Baby B. We have produced a specification to address the needs of pregnant and post-natal women (Pregnancy and post -natal specification) which will ensure that all women have high quality and consistent services across the estate to address their needs. The National specification was published in June 2022. NHSE are currently working with regional teams to assure that it is commissioned, and we expect this to be achieved by end June 2023. The current review of the women’s estate includes the built environment and feeds into how the Pregnancy and post -natal specification will be delivered. NHSE also continues to work closely with MoJ on policy and HMPPS on operational deliverables to implement the PPO recommendations and improvements to the health offer for pregnant women in prisons. This will ensure that women who meet the eligibility criteria for RECONNECT services will continue to be supported post-release where their health needs require continuity of care. NHSE is also aligning with current policy HMPPS policy on pregnancy, mother and baby units and maternal separation; the MoJ Women Offenders Concordat; and the wider Women’s Health Strategy being developed by the DHSC. Outputs have included the development of the National Pregnancy and Post Natal Specification, development of national gender specific reception screening and recruitment to the Women’s Review Implementation Programme Team.