Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1273296

	registered interest
	date	30/12/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Young Offenders
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made in ensuring that people who are charged with an offence under the age of 18 years are tried in the youth justice system.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	133047
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2021 answer text <p>The age of the young person at their first appearance in court determines whether they are tried in the youth or adult court. The youth court does not have jurisdiction where the defendant has turned 18 before making their first court appearance. However, if the child has made their first court appearance and turns 18 during the proceedings it is possible for their case to continue to be heard in a Youth Court. Throughout court proceedings, consideration is given to the age - both chronological and developmental - of the defendant, and measures exist to ensure that those who turn 18 before trial are supported.</p><p>Where a child turns 18 after an offence is committed but before conviction, they will be tried in adult court. Youth and maturity will continue to inform sentencing decisions even after the offender turns 18 however, and the Sentencing Council’s definitive guideline, Sentencing Children and Young People, states that in these cases courts should use the sentence that would have been given at the time the offence was committed as a starting point.</p><p>Younger children have very different needs to young adults, and the special measures that exist in youth courts - such as the right to anonymity - are intended to protect vulnerable children. That is why they are not automatically available to defendants over the age of 18, regardless of when the offence was committed. However, assistance (including the Registered Intermediaries scheme) does exist to support adult defendants who are determined to be vulnerable.</p><p>We are also working to clear the courts backlogs and reduce the number of children awaiting trial. Significant work is being undertaken within HMCTS to carefully consider the impact that Covid-19 has had on the youth court and to develop measures which reduce the backlog while prioritising time-sensitive cases. The judiciary has also re-published a note of listing in magistrates’ courts the during Covid-19 outbreak, where it highlights the impact on the remand status of youth defendants (for example where delay might mean a relevant age-threshold is crossed).</p><p>Youth courts are now running at near to normal sitting patterns, and it is forecast that the outstanding caseload will soon return to pre-Covid levels. Since 20 July 2020 courts have disposed of more youth cases than they have received, reducing the number of outstanding youth cases week on week.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 14/01/2021 13:17:46 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

828317

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Family Courts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What steps he is taking to reduce the number of cases in which people are repeatedly compelled to appear in a family court due to action by a former partner.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	903500
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2018 answer text <p>Using court processes to further abuse is completely unacceptable. Family courts have the power to act if they see evidence of this.</p><p>The court can strike out any action it views as an abuse of process or issue an order restricting the litigant’s ability to continue with further applications or claims.</p><p>New family court rules were introduced in November to make sure vulnerable court users get the support they need in the courtroom.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 23/01/2018 17:31:51 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

837358

	registered interest
	date	05/02/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Juries: Translation Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that people who are selected for jury service have full access to translation services if they do not understand English.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	126477
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2018 answer text <p>Persons summoned for jury service who would require any type of third party assistance within the deliberating room such as a language interpreter are discharged from jury service. The Juries Act 1974 provides for the judge to discharge a jury summons if there is doubt as to the capacity of the person summoned to act effectively as a juror on account of their insufficient understanding of English.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 13/02/2018 17:08:37 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

837758

	registered interest
	date	06/02/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Juries
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department provides to people selected for jury service to ensure that they understand their duties as jurors.
	tabling member constituency	York Central
	tabling member printed	Rachael Maskell
	uin	126789
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2018 answer text <p>There is a range of guidance material available to jurors.</p><p> </p><p>Upon confirming their jury service, jurors are sent an information pack, which, alongside practical information, includes a booklet called, ‘Your Guide to Jury Service’ which sets out what happens during jury service and what is expected of a juror. This booklet is also available online.</p><p> </p><p>All jurors are shown a short film entitled, ‘Your Role as a Juror’ on their first day of jury service which explains what they should expect and what their role is. This is also available online.</p><p> </p><p>Once summoned, a juror can contact the Jury Central Summoning Bureau if they are unsure of any aspect of their jury service, or once at court can speak to court staff. Further information and guidance for jurors can also be found on the gov.uk website.</p><p> </p><p>The Lord Chief Justice has recently introduced a new notice to be handed to jurors when they are sworn in which details their legal responsibilities and the possible penalties of failing to adhere to them. The new notice is being rolled out on a staged basis across all Crown Court centres with a view to completion in 2018-19.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 14/02/2018 13:27:59 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4471 label Biography information for Rachael Maskell

1190405

	registered interest
	date	27/04/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What steps his Department is taking to protect the public in response to the temporary release of prisoners during the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Ynys Môn
	tabling member printed	Virginia Crosbie
	uin	901948
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/04/2020 answer text <p>On 4 April, this Government announced its intention to temporarily release risk-assessed prisoners as part of the national plan to protect the NHS and save lives.</p><p> </p><p>Public protection is our top priority. No high-risk offenders will be considered for release, nor any prisoners who have not served at least half their custodial term. Likewise, no prisoner will be released if they have symptoms of coronavirus or without housing and health support being in place.</p><p> </p><p>Prisoners who pass the stringent criteria for early release will be subject to strict conditions, and will be electronically monitored, including with GPS tags, with the option to recall to prison if necessary.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 27/04/2020 16:54:07 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4859 label Biography information for Virginia Crosbie

917248

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of rates of pay for criminal legal aid.
	tabling member constituency	Wythenshawe and Sale East
	tabling member printed	Mike Kane
	uin	905598
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2018 answer text <p>Those who undertake criminal legal aid work play an important role in our justice system. It is right that those who represent people, often at their most vulnerable, are paid appropriately for the work that they do and we continue to liaise with the legal profession on this important issue.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 05/06/2018 17:00:47 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4316 label Biography information for Mike Kane

1176336

	registered interest
	date	05/02/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoners' Release: Wycombe
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has made an assessment of the threat to the public from individuals convicted of terrorism offences and subsequently released in Wycombe; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Wycombe
	tabling member printed	Mr Steve Baker
	uin	12877
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2020 answer text <p>All terrorist offenders released on probation are closely managed by the National Probation Service and HMPPS.</p><p>Months before a terrorist offender is released, preparations for their management begin through the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) process. This is led by HMPPS and Police, with input from other partners as required. This process ensures that a set of robust and appropriate licence conditions are drawn up for each offender. These restrictive licence conditions can include: living in approved premises; restrictions on movement and stringent curfews. Failure to adhere to conditions results in enforcement action, and could result in recall to prison.</p><p>For those subject to a Parole Hearing we will make sure all necessary evidence is made available to the Board and we will make representations in any case where we feel the decision is lacking.</p><p>Since the attack in Streatham, we have begun a further set of urgent assurance checks of all terrorists on licence to ensure their risk management arrangements remain appropriate following the incident. These reviews are to be led jointly with CT police colleagues.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 10/02/2020 17:41:38 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4064 label Biography information for Mr Steve Baker

1236511

	registered interest
	date	22/09/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What assessment he has made of the adequacy of the response to the covid-19 outbreak in prisons.
	tabling member constituency	Wrexham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Atherton
	uin	906362
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/09/2020 answer text <p>From the start of the pandemic our priority in prisons has been on protecting staff, prisoners, the NHS and the wider community from outbreaks in custody. Thanks to the hard work of prison staff we have so far been successful in achieving this, although we are not complacent and know challenges remain over the autumn and winter.</p><p>In March Public Health England (PHE) modelled an expected 2,300 deaths in prisons. We took decisive action to avoid thousands of prisoners and staff becoming infected with the virus. These included minimising movement between prisons and introducing measures to shield the vulnerable, isolate those with symptoms, and quarantine new entrants to custody.</p><p>As a result further modelling by PHE showed that our measures were being effective in controlling the spread of the virus, and avoiding widespread local outbreaks. There have to date been 23 prisoner deaths from Covid-19, and in recent months we have begun to ease restrictions in prison establishments. All our actions have been informed by the advice of experts from PHE and will be kept under constant review.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 22/09/2020 17:03:33 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4855 label Biography information for Sarah Atherton

1248086

	registered interest
	date	03/11/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisons: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What steps his Department is taking to help reduce the spread of covid-19 in prisons.
	tabling member constituency	Wrexham
	tabling member printed	Sarah Atherton
	uin	908331
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2020 answer text <p>As community rates increase, the risk of outbreaks in prisons inevitably rises. We have planned for this and have a range of measures in place, informed by public health advice, to protect our staff, prisoners and the NHS over Winter.</p><p>Our hard-working prison staff are continuing to implement regimes that have been adapted for safety, with social distancing and PPE use. We are also quarantining new arrivals, isolating those with symptoms, and shielding the vulnerable.</p><p>These interventions are supporting us to minimise importation, limit the spread of infection and protect against explosive outbreaks.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 03/11/2020 17:36:34 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4855 label Biography information for Sarah Atherton

882745

	registered interest
	date	13/04/2018
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Magistrates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has plans to make an assessment of the effectiveness of the Single Justice Procedure.
	tabling member constituency	Wrexham
	tabling member printed	Ian C. Lucas
	uin	135807
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2018 answer text <p>We have been monitoring the operation of the Single Justice Procedure since its introduction in 2015 and subsequent roll out across England and Wales. We will continue to monitor this as we develop new means for the public to engage with the criminal court system.</p><p> </p><p>The proportion of total cases completed through the Single Justice Procedure has steadily increased in each quarter since its introduction. The procedure has been well received among magistrates and legal advisers and all 43 police forces now use this procedure, as well as a number of local authorities, the TV Licensing authority and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.</p><p> </p><p>We remain committed to providing a policy review five years after implementation (in 2021).</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 23/04/2018 16:54:32 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	1470 label Biography information for Ian C. Lucas