Latest news with #BaronessNewlove
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Police chiefs and Government watchdogs write to PM in warning over funding cuts
Senior police chiefs and Government watchdogs have written to the Prime Minister warning they will be forced to make choices about which crimes they investigate if the Government announces spending cuts to policing, while victim support services are being 'pushed to the brink'. In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, Sir Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan Police, warned that cuts to police budgets will have 'far-reaching consequences', The Times reports. Meanwhile, in a separate letter, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales Dame Nicole Jacobs and Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales Baroness Newlove wrote to Sir Keir saying victim support services are being 'pushed to the brink', hit by funding cuts and rising costs. The spending review is due on Wednesday next week, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said the Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces 'unavoidably tough decisions' as the demands of NHS and defence spending raise the prospect of cuts in other departments. The letter from the police chiefs, which was signed by other senior police officers, said that negotiations between the Treasury and the Home Office were going 'poorly'. 'A settlement that fails to address our inflation and pay pressures would entail stark choices about which crimes we no longer prioritise,' it read. Last week, senior police officers – including Sir Mark – wrote a letter in the Times calling on the Government for 'serious investment' in the spending review, which will set out the Government's day-to-day departmental budgets for the next three years. 'A lack of investment will bake in the structural inefficiencies for another three years and will lose a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform the service,' the letter warned. Sir Mark also voiced his concern that fewer criminals serving jail time under proposals to end prison overcrowding will 'generate a lot of work for police'. As well as increasing demand and new online threats from organised crime, Sir Mark and the other chiefs said the emergency release of prisoners to alleviate overcrowding and recommendations in the sentencing review would put more pressure on policing. Dame Nicole and Baroness Newlove welcomed Sir Keir's 'personal commitment to halving violence against women and girls within a decade' in their letter but said they were concerned that 'funding cuts and scaled back ambition are leading to piecemeal policies'. They called for a 'clear, well-funded national approach to prevent and respond to abuse, violence, and exploitation of women and girls'. They added: 'With bold and ambitious investment, we can finally tackle the systemic stain of violence and abuse, one that would see us get to grips with misogyny, ensure victims can recover from trauma and build a criminal justice system that delivers for survivors every single time.' On Wednesday, the Transport Secretary denied that some of her Cabinet colleagues are engaged in a row over funding for the police. Asked about reports that negotiations between the Treasury and the Home Office ahead of next week's spending review were ongoing, Heidi Alexander told Times Radio: 'I know that the Chancellor, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, they are working hand-in-glove with the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.' Responding to the suggestion they were 'having a row', she said: 'I'm not privy to any of those conversations. 'All that I've seen is a really collegiate atmosphere around the Cabinet table on the part of every single Cabinet member that we can start to deliver on our plan for change, we can get the economy firing on all cylinders, that we recruit those extra police officers – which was a big commitment at the election – that we can invest in the NHS, we can invest in our public transport in terms of the announcement that we are making today.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We are backing the police to protect our communities and keep our streets safe with up to £17.6 billion this year, an increase of up to £1.2 billion. 'This includes £200 million to kickstart putting 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers, PCSOs and special constables that the public will see back on their streets and patrolling communities, as part of our Plan for Change.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Police chiefs and Government watchdogs write to PM in warning over funding cuts
Senior police chiefs and Government watchdogs have written to the Prime Minister warning they will be forced to make choices about which crimes they investigate if the Government announces spending cuts to policing, while victim support services are being 'pushed to the brink'. In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, Sir Mark Rowley, the head of the Metropolitan Police, warned that cuts to police budgets will have 'far-reaching consequences', The Times reports. Meanwhile, in a separate letter, Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales Dame Nicole Jacobs and Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales Baroness Newlove wrote to Sir Keir saying victim support services are being 'pushed to the brink', hit by funding cuts and rising costs. The spending review is due on Wednesday next week, and the Institute for Fiscal Studies has said the Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces 'unavoidably tough decisions' as the demands of NHS and defence spending raise the prospect of cuts in other departments. The letter from the police chiefs, which was signed by other senior police officers, said that negotiations between the Treasury and the Home Office were going 'poorly'. 'A settlement that fails to address our inflation and pay pressures would entail stark choices about which crimes we no longer prioritise,' it read. Last week, senior police officers – including Sir Mark – wrote a letter in the Times calling on the Government for 'serious investment' in the spending review, which will set out the Government's day-to-day departmental budgets for the next three years. 'A lack of investment will bake in the structural inefficiencies for another three years and will lose a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform the service,' the letter warned. Sir Mark also voiced his concern that fewer criminals serving jail time under proposals to end prison overcrowding will 'generate a lot of work for police'. As well as increasing demand and new online threats from organised crime, Sir Mark and the other chiefs said the emergency release of prisoners to alleviate overcrowding and recommendations in the sentencing review would put more pressure on policing. Dame Nicole and Baroness Newlove welcomed Sir Keir's 'personal commitment to halving violence against women and girls within a decade' in their letter but said they were concerned that 'funding cuts and scaled back ambition are leading to piecemeal policies'. They called for a 'clear, well-funded national approach to prevent and respond to abuse, violence, and exploitation of women and girls'. They added: 'With bold and ambitious investment, we can finally tackle the systemic stain of violence and abuse, one that would see us get to grips with misogyny, ensure victims can recover from trauma and build a criminal justice system that delivers for survivors every single time.' On Wednesday, the Transport Secretary denied that some of her Cabinet colleagues are engaged in a row over funding for the police. Asked about reports that negotiations between the Treasury and the Home Office ahead of next week's spending review were ongoing, Heidi Alexander told Times Radio: 'I know that the Chancellor, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, they are working hand-in-glove with the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper.' Responding to the suggestion they were 'having a row', she said: 'I'm not privy to any of those conversations. 'All that I've seen is a really collegiate atmosphere around the Cabinet table on the part of every single Cabinet member that we can start to deliver on our plan for change, we can get the economy firing on all cylinders, that we recruit those extra police officers – which was a big commitment at the election – that we can invest in the NHS, we can invest in our public transport in terms of the announcement that we are making today.' A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We are backing the police to protect our communities and keep our streets safe with up to £17.6 billion this year, an increase of up to £1.2 billion. 'This includes £200 million to kickstart putting 13,000 additional neighbourhood police officers, PCSOs and special constables that the public will see back on their streets and patrolling communities, as part of our Plan for Change.'
BBC News
7 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
PM warned more funding needed to tackle violence against women
The prime minister has been warned he will fail to meet his own target of halving violence against women and girls without significant investment in services, according to two senior government watchdogs. This is the first time Domestic Abuse Commissioner for England and Wales Dame Nicole Jacobs and Victims Commissioner for England and Wales Baroness Newlove have written jointly to Sir Keir Starmer. The pair said victim support services were being "pushed to the brink" by funding cuts and rising intervention comes ahead of the chancellor's spending review later this month, which is expected to feature cuts to some areas of public spending. In a further headache for ministers, the country's most senior police chiefs have also warned Sir Keir Starmer they will face "stark choices" about which crimes to investigate if their budgets are cut as BBC understands that the Home Office, which is responsible for both victims and police forces, is still in negotiations with the Treasury over how funds will be allocated in the spending the letter seen by the BBC, the commissioners told Sir Keir that the spending review was a chance to define the government's legacy for victims and pair said they welcomed the prime minister's "personal commitment to halving violence against women and girls within a decade" but said "funding cuts and scaled back ambition are leading to piecemeal policies".They added that with "bold and ambitious investment, we can finally tackle the systemic stain of violence and abuse" and said the "cost of inaction is one this country can no longer afford".As first reported in The Times, Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley is also among those cautioning Sir Keir against cuts in next week's spending review, saying they will herald a return to frontline police numbers last seen under over the heads of Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Chancellor Rachel Reeves is reportedly seen as a "last-ditch ploy" by the police chiefs, who say negotiations between the Home Office and the Treasury have been going "poorly". Sir Mark, the head of the National Police Chiefs' Council Gavin Stephens, and the head of the National Crime Agency (NCA) Graeme Biggar made a direct appeal to the PM around the "far-reaching consequences" of decisions."We understand that the Treasury [is] seeking to finalise departmental budget allocations this week and that the negotiations between the Home Office and the Treasury are going poorly," they wrote."We are deeply concerned that the settlement for policing and the [NCA], without additional investment, risks a retrenchment to what we saw under austerity. This would have far-reaching consequences."The Conservative government's austerity policies saw police numbers fall by 45,000 between 2010 and 2016, with Office for National Statistics figures from 2016 showing violence against the person offences rose by 24% in the previous 12 police chiefs' letter sets out how government funding "has not kept pace with demand", which has left "very limited room for manoeuvre" within police services."A settlement that fails to address our inflation and pay pressures flat would entail stark choices about which crimes we no longer prioritise," they add."The policing and NCA workforce would also shrink each year."Last week, The Times disclosed that police chiefs and MI5 had warned the government that the early release scheme represented a threat to public was one of six police chiefs who publicly warned that promises on crime would be broken without more money from the Treasury.
Sky News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
'Why are violent offenders being granted early release?', asks victim watchdog
The watchdog representing victims is "genuinely struggling to understand" government changes to prisoner recall release policy, expressing concern for "victim and wider public safety." In a letter to the Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood, shared exclusively with Sky News, Baroness Newlove has questioned why certain "sexual and violent" offenders have been "targeted for early release". The justice secretary on Wednesday announced that more criminals released from prison will only serve 28 more days in jail if they breach their licence conditions in an attempt to relieve pressure on overcrowded prisons. On behalf of victims in England and Wales, Baroness Newlove raised a series of questions with the justice secretary, asking why criminals who may be deemed "an unacceptable risk to the public", are being "re-released at a time when the probation service is already struggling to cope with the huge demands being placed upon it." In a hastily arranged news conference on Wednesday, the government announced the new measures for criminals who have been recalled to prison in England and Wales. 2:41 The immediacy of the announcement prompted questions from MPs on Thursday as to whether those representing victims had been consulted about the changes. It's understood that the Victims Commissioner was not given advanced warning. This is the first time Baroness Newlove has intervened over the early release policy, citing risk to public safety. The measures mean that offenders originally serving one to four years who are recalled to prison for breaching their licenses will be released after 28 days. Previously, this short-term recall was only available to those who were originally serving a 12-month sentence. Anyone serving longer than that had to convince the parole board they were safe to leave, if they had been recalled. That often caused delays. The change is designed to stop prisons getting clogged up with those recalled for minor breaches, such as missing appointments or failing to alert the probation service to a change in their address or circumstance. 0:36 There are around 13,500 offenders in prison 'on recall', which amounts to 15% of the total prison population in England and Wales. Only 25% of those recalled have committed further offences. Other recalls are because of non-compliance or breaching of licence conditions - like missing or not turning up to probation appointments. Thousands of offenders will benefit from the new limits. It will exclude terrorists, and individuals considered by the prison and probation service to be high risk, those who commit further offences. 2:36 The Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Nicole Jacobs, also raised expressed concern, telling the justice secretary in a separate letter the "consequences could be deadly." "The domestic abuse perpetrators within this cohort of offenders are some of the most dangerous - they are fixated on their victims, stopping at nothing to maintain control over them," she said. "This change will also put significant additional pressure on an already overwhelmed Probation Service, and I am deeply concerned for the knock-on impact that this will have on the safety of victims and survivors whose perpetrators are being managed in the community." One serving probation officer told Sky News the change "will create probation chaos", adding it's a "real threat to managing public safety". The measure will exclude many sexual offenders and domestic abusers, but not all. Exclusion is based on the risk they pose, and there will be an opportunity for frontline workers to apply for additional licence conditions to manage concerns about an offender due to be released after 28 days. It's understood that exclusions do not extend further than that because of the severity of the overcrowding situation, combined with the inability to exclude all domestic abusers because some can be charged with crimes such as GBH or ABH, meaning domestic abuse is not specifically the crime they were sentenced for. The recall population has been growing for years, putting pressure on an overcrowded system. Amy Rees, the interim permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, said any delay in enacting new emergency measures would become "intolerable", meaning police could not make arrests. The justice secretary said that male prisons were due to run out of space by November. The male estate is currently operating at around 99% capacity. 0:51 An independent review of sentencing policy is due to make recommendations to the government in coming days, with the aim of sending fewer people to prison. It's expected to suggest the scrapping of some short sentences and increasing the use of alternatives to prison custody for non-violent offenders.
Telegraph
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Dangerous prisoners will be released under Starmer's plans, warns Victims' Commissioner
Dangerous criminals blocked from release by the Parole Board could be freed early from jail under the Government's latest emergency scheme to tackle prison overcrowding, the Victims' Commissioner has warned. Baroness Newlove has written to Shabana Mahmood, the Justice Secretary, to say she is 'genuinely struggling to understand' why such prisoners have been targeted for release under the recall scheme. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Justice said criminals, including some violent offenders, burglars, domestic abusers and sex offenders, who have been recalled to prison will automatically be re-released after just 28 days. Ms Mahmood said the measure was necessary to avoid jails running out of space in the next five months. The early re-release scheme will apply to most prisoners sentenced to between one and four years, even if they are recalled to prison for minor crimes such as shoplifting. At present, criminals recalled to prison are only re-released after their case has been considered by the Parole Board, which decides if they can be safely freed to serve the rest of their sentence in the community. In her letter, Lady Newlove said many recalled offenders would already have been in prison for more than 28 days after having their applications for release rejected. 'In each case, the [Parole] Board will have applied the public protection test and concluded that it remained necessary to keep the individual in custody to protect the public,' she said. Lady Newlove also noted that recalled prisoners would have been sent back to jail because they were an 'unacceptable' risk in the community. 'In short, we are re-releasing a group of offenders assessed as high risk and with a track record of poor compliance. These high-maintenance offenders are all being re-released at a time when the Probation Service is already struggling to cope with the huge demands being placed upon it,' she said. 'For these reasons, I am very concerned about the implications for both victim and wider public safety. Can you tell me what safeguards will be put in place to protect victims and uphold public trust? 'I am also worried about the cumulative impact of these short-term, stop-gap measures on victim confidence in our justice system. With each announcement, there is always a perception that this will be the last, only to be disappointed.' Ministers said they had been forced to act following official projections that prisons would run out of space by November, raising the prospect that police may not be able to arrest offenders because of the lack of available cells. Ms Mahmood warned it could lead to the 'total breakdown of law and order,' which left her no option but to introduce the recall measures to buy time before more fundamental reforms to sentencing are recommended in a review next week by David Gauke, the former justice secretary. The new 28-day fixed-term recall is expected to free up 1,400 prison spaces. Serious sex and violent offenders, terrorists, dangerous domestic abusers and any criminal who commits a serious further offence after their release – such as murder, rape or kidnap – will not be eligible for release under the scheme.
