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224030

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to promote mediation in the resolution of family and other legal disputes; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
	tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
	uin	225655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>In order to promote the use of mediation as a first step towards dispute resolution for separating families, as of 22 April 2014 it is now a legislative requirement that anyone considering applying to court for an order about their children or finances is legally obliged to attend a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) first, unless specific exemptions apply (for example domestic violence).</p><p> </p><p>Following this legislative change, attendance at MIAMs increased in consecutive quarters, with 4,023 couples attending a MIAM between Jul-Sept 2014, which is a rise of 11% from the previous quarter and 20% from Jul-Sept 2013. Mediation starts are also rising, with an increase from 1783 in the period Apr-Jun 2014 to 1896 in the period Jul-Sep 2014.</p><p> </p><p>We know that there is a perception by some people that legal aid no longer covers mediation or legal help for mediation. This is not the case, and it is vital that this message is communicated as effectively as possible. Legal aid remains available for family mediation and for legal advice to support family mediation. In addition, as of 3 November 2014, the first single session of mediation is publicly funded in all cases provided one of the people involved is already legally aided. In these cases, both participants will be funded for the MIAM and for the first session of mediation. The combination of the compulsory MIAM and free first mediation session will help to introduce more people to the benefits of mediation, and away from the courts.</p><p> </p><p>A communications campaign - ‘First Stop: Family Mediation’ - has been launched to promote family mediation, and how to access it, and publicising the availability of legal aid for those who are eligible. The campaign went live on 2 January 2015 and includes online advertising, Google key word searches and Google Display adverts that direct people to the Family Mediation Council website and in particular, the find your local mediator tool. Other initiatives included a sponsored Q&amp;A discussion on Mumsnet as well as a social media campaign and media relations in the consumer media. This has resulted in a 320% increase in visitors to the FMC website in the first two months of the year as of 28 February this year compared to the last six months of 2014. The campaign runs until 20 March.</p><p> </p><p>To support the mediation profession, with MoJ assistance and guidance, the Family Mediation Council introduced a new Professional Standards Framework from 1 January 2015. This will provide the basis for a much needed consistent approach in how mediators should operate. It will allow the general public - the clients of mediation – to be confident in the service that is being provided; they will know what it means to go to mediation; they will understand that mediators are to be trusted as properly trained and accredited practitioners; and most importantly, they will know they are protected by a properly regulated profession.</p><p> </p><p>More widely, the Government actively encourages mediation in civil litigation cases through its support of the small-claims mediation service, and the mediation referral website. Signposting literature in the Courts, various provisions in the Civil Procedure Rules and the numerous pre-action protocols promote this. In addition the MoJ has received the Civil Justice Council’s report on Online Dispute Resolution for Low Value Civil Claims, and will respond in due course.</p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes question first answered 05/03/2015 15:36:48 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

226762

	registered interest
	date	11/03/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Parole Board
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether relatives of victims of crime are compensated for the cost of attending parole boards to make victim impact statements.
	tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
	tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
	uin	227320
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>This Government is committed to putting victims and witnesses first in the criminal justice system and to ensure they have access to high-quality, effective and timely support to help them cope and, as far as possible, recover from the effects of crime.</p><p>We are working with the Parole Board to increase the number of hearings which Parole Board Panels hold using video-link technology at oral hearings. This has the positive benefit of giving more victims the opportunity to deliver their victim personal statement locally rather than incur the cost, inconvenience and potential distress of travelling to the prison in which the Parole Board hearing is taking place.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 18/03/2015 16:26:56 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
	tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

228634

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2015
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Property Rights: Appeals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions appeals involving adverse possession have been brought in the last six months.
	tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
	tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
	uin	228354
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2015 answer text <p>The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), administered by HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears cases involving adverse possession that are referred to it by the Land Registry.</p><p>The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) publishes official statistics on the operation of HMCTS including the number of land registration receipts received by the Property Chamber. These statistics are published on a quarterly basis and the most recent official statistical publication (covering the period up to the end of December 2014) can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/tribunal-and-gender-recognition-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2014</p><p>Internal management information indicates that there have been 72 references with adverse possession as a main issue lodged with the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) between 1 July 2014 and 31 December 2014.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 25/03/2015 17:54:19 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

46349

	registered interest
	date	01/04/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what prosecutions there have been for (a) sheep rustling and (b) other crimes on farms in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
	tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
	uin	194596
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database holds information on defendants proceeded against, found guilty and sentenced for criminal offences in England and Wales. This database holds information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought but not the specific circumstances of each case. It is not possible to separately identify from this centrally held information offences of sheep rustling from other offences of theft. Nor is it possible to separately identify which offences occurred on a farm. This information may be held on the individual court files, which can only be checked at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Ashford answering member printed Damian Green question first answered 09/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 76 label Biography information for Damian Green
	tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

63373

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average length of time taken is to appeal a decision when a personal independence payment has been refused; what steps his Department plans to take to speed up the process of appeal; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
	tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
	uin	201755
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <p>The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions' decisions on a range of benefits, including a person's entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>(1) Claimants for PIP can appeal to the Tribunal on a number of different grounds, such as the rate of benefit awarded. HMCTS is unable to isolate data relating to appeals solely on the basis of a claim for PIP having been refused. HMCTS does not, therefore, hold the specific information requested.</p><p> </p><p>Information on all appeals against PIP decisions is published by HMCTS in Tribunal Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report for the period January to March 2014, published on 12 June 2014, can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2014</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMCTS has responded strongly to continue to increase the capacity of the SSCS tribunal and reduce waiting times. Initiatives have included increasing venue capacity and recruiting additional judges and medically qualified members.</p><p>This has resulted in 545,840 appeal disposals in 2013/14. This is a 17% increase compared to 2012/13 (465,500) and a 26% increase compared to 2011/12 (433,600).</p><p> </p><p>(2) I receive regular representations on the SSCS appeals process which are taken into account as we keep the system under review. However, to date, I have not received any representations on the length of time the PIP appeals procedure takes.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara grouped question UIN 201756 question first answered 30/06/2014 16:39:34 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering

63374

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Personal Independence Payment: Appeals
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent representations he has received on the length of time the personal independence payment appeals procedure takes.
	tabling member constituency	Thirsk and Malton
	tabling member printed	Miss Anne McIntosh
	uin	201756
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <p>The First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), administered by HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service (HMCTS), hears appeals against Department for Work and Pensions' decisions on a range of benefits, including a person's entitlement to Personal Independence Payment (PIP).</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>(1) Claimants for PIP can appeal to the Tribunal on a number of different grounds, such as the rate of benefit awarded. HMCTS is unable to isolate data relating to appeals solely on the basis of a claim for PIP having been refused. HMCTS does not, therefore, hold the specific information requested.</p><p> </p><p>Information on all appeals against PIP decisions is published by HMCTS in Tribunal Statistics Quarterly. The most recent report for the period January to March 2014, published on 12 June 2014, can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tribunal-statistics-quarterly-january-to-march-2014</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>HMCTS has responded strongly to continue to increase the capacity of the SSCS tribunal and reduce waiting times. Initiatives have included increasing venue capacity and recruiting additional judges and medically qualified members.</p><p>This has resulted in 545,840 appeal disposals in 2013/14. This is a 17% increase compared to 2012/13 (465,500) and a 26% increase compared to 2011/12 (433,600).</p><p> </p><p>(2) I receive regular representations on the SSCS appeals process which are taken into account as we keep the system under review. However, to date, I have not received any representations on the length of time the PIP appeals procedure takes.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara grouped question UIN 201755 question first answered 30/06/2014 16:39:34 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
	tabling member	384 label Biography information for Baroness McIntosh of Pickering