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1671388

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2023
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Good Law Project: Legal Costs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what was the total sum (a) paid to and (b) received from the Good Law Project by HM Government in respect of legal costs in each financial year since 2017-18.
	tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
	tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
	uin	2472
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2023 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">There were 52 cases against His Majesty’s Government in which the Good Law Project were involved as a party which concluded in the period since the start of the 2017-18 financial year. HM Government won 14 and lost 2 of those cases, 15 cases were settled, and 31 cases withdrawn by the Good Law Project.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">In total, the Good Law Project has paid £539,766.19 in legal costs to HM Government, while HM Government has paid £63,738.71 in legal costs to the Good Law Project.</del></p><p><br /><del class="ministerial">In financial year 2017-2018, no payments were made or received.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">In financial year 2018-2019, £40,000.00 was paid to, and £4,753.00 was received from, the Good Law Project.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">In financial year 2019-2020, £0 was paid to, and £59,013.19 was received from, the Good Law Project.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">In financial year 2020-2021, £0 was paid to, and £10,000.00 was received from, the Good Law Project.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">In financial year 2021-2022, £0 was paid to, and £270,000.00 was received from, the Good Law Project.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">In financial year 2022-2023, £23,738.71 was paid to, and £196,000.00 was received from, the Good Law Project.</del></p><p><del class="ministerial">In financial year 2023-2024 to date, no payments have been made or received.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">There were 42 case files opened in respect of actual court proceedings between His Majesty’s Government and the Good Law Project during the period since the start of the 2017-18 financial year. HM Government won 19 and lost 6, 7 cases were settled, and 9 cases were withdrawn by the Good Law Project. One has yet to deliver an outcome.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">In total, in regard to these 42 cases:</ins></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">The Good Law Project has paid £984,098.45 in legal costs to HM Government, while HM Government has paid £160,925.71 in legal costs to the Good Law Project.</ins></p><p> </p><p><ins class="ministerial">In financial year 2017-2018, no payments were made or received.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">In financial year 2018-2019, £40,000 was paid to, and £4,753 was received from, the Good Law Project.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">In financial year 2019-2020, £0 was paid to, and £59,013.19 was received from, the Good Law Project.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">In financial year 2020-2021, £85,000 was paid to, and £10,000 was received from, the Good Law Project.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">In financial year 2021-2022, £0 was paid to, and £286,000 was received from, the Good Law Project.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">In financial year 2022-2023, £35,925.71 was paid to, and £544,000 was received from, the Good Law Project.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">In financial year 2023-2024, £0 has been paid to, and £80,332.26 has been received from, the Good Law Project.</ins></p> answering member constituency Mid Dorset and North Poole answering member printed Michael Tomlinson question first answered 27/11/2023 17:25:30 question first ministerially corrected 04/12/2023 15:24:45 answering member 4497 label Biography information for Michael Tomlinson previous answer version 3541 answering member constituency Mid Dorset and North Poole answering member printed Michael Tomlinson answering member 4497 label Biography information for Michael Tomlinson
	tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1682583

	registered interest
	date	16/01/2024
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Government Legal Department: Newcastle upon Tyne
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the Government Legal Department Business Plan 2023-24, published on 23 May 2023, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of using the Pilgrim Quarter development as a worksite for the Government Legal Department.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	9820
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2024 answer text <p>Whilst Newcastle is not currently under consideration as a base for the Government Legal Department (GLD), the GLD's position might change in the future if demand for GLD services increases in the region.</p><p>GLD sites have been selected based on a model of developing a national organisation located in the proximity of its clients and using established legal markets which have strong pipelines for recruiting from diverse pools.</p><p>Decisions on sites are evidence-based, for example, on research and analysis of local academic and labour markets, whilst also reflecting various Government estate and property initiatives such as Places for Growth.</p><p>The Pilgrim Quarter Development will be the Government Hub for HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in the North East, housing 9,000 HMRC employees when complete. As GLD does not currently offer legal services to HMRC, we would not automatically co-locate within their sites.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 22/01/2024 12:38:40 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

1684452

	registered interest
	date	23/01/2024
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Discretionary Trusts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, whether her Department has had recent discussions with the Law Society on the management of Family Protection Trusts by firms of solicitors.
	tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
	tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
	uin	11121
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2024 answer text <p>While the Attorney General and I, and our department, regularly engage with the legal professions, we have not discussed the management of Family Protection Trusts by firms of solicitors with the Law Society.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 26/01/2024 11:23:34 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
	tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1676296

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2023
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Government Legal Department: Standards
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, whether her Department has (a) procedures and (b) notification systems in place for potential errors made by the Government Legal Department (GLD); whether errors by the GLD are recorded; whether financial losses arising from errors made by the GLD are recovered from the GLD; whether processes are in place to ensure that citizens receive redress when there has been a failure to process (i) applications, (ii) court orders and (iii) other maladministration by HM Courts and Tribunals Service; who in her Department is responsible for identifying and recording errors by the GLD; and what records her Department maintains of (A) apologies, (B) payments of compensation and (C) other matters relating to the GLD.
	tabling member constituency	Knowsley
	tabling member printed	Sir George Howarth
	uin	5764
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2023 answer text <p>Where members of the public wish to raise a complaint about the Government Legal Department (GLD) or any of its staff, there is a relevant complaints procedure. Complaints will be investigated in accordance with the GLD complaints policy, which is available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-legal-department/about/complaints-procedure#:~:text=Examples%20of%20maladministration-,What%20to%20do%20if%20you%20have%20a%20complaint,from%20receipt%20of%20your%20complaint." target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-legal-department/about/complaints-procedure#:~:text=Examples%20of%20maladministration-,What%20to%20do%20if%20you%20have%20a%20complaint,from%20receipt%20of%20your%20complaint.</a></p><p>There is then a right of appeal to the Treasury Solicitor. If the appellant is not satisfied with the department’s reply, and they feel that they have sustained injustice as a result of maladministration, they can consider bringing the matter to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration (the Ombudsman).</p><p>The Ombudsman can recommend that organisations make payments if a complainant has sustained financial loss or to acknowledge the complainant’s distress. However, the Ombudsman will not investigate complaints where the complainant has the option to pursue legal action.</p><p>The Attorney General and Treasury Solicitor also meet regularly to discuss performance and serious errors can be flagged.</p><p>HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service (HMCTS) has an administrative complaints procedure that allows citizens to complain about administrative failures to process applications and court orders or other maladministration. If HMCTS receives a complaint then it will investigate and take steps to put things right where any administrative error has been made. More information about this complaints process is available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service/about/complaints-procedure" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-courts-and-tribunals-service/about/complaints-procedure</a>.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 14/12/2023 14:21:46 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
	tabling member	481 label Biography information for Sir George Howarth

1675473

	registered interest
	date	05/12/2023
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Attorney General: Official Hospitality
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, how much their Department spent on hospitality in (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
	tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
	uin	5199
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2023 answer text <p>We do not routinely publish this data, as has been the case under successive administrations.</p><p>All Business Units within the Attorney General's Office (AGO) have a responsibility to keep official hospitality costs as low as possible and demonstrate good value for money. Details of ministerial and senior official hospitality are published on a quarterly basis and are available on GOV.UK.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 13/12/2023 15:06:47 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
	tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

1683159

	registered interest
	date	17/01/2024
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Attorney General: Equality
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many equalities impact assessments her Department completed in each of the last five years for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Harborough
	tabling member printed	Neil O'Brien
	uin	10261
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/01/2024 answer text <p>Under the Public Sector Equality Duty (the Duty), all public authorities, including Government departments, are required by law to ensure that they have due regard to certain equality considerations when carrying out their functions. While ‘equality impact assessments’ (EIAs) may be produced, there is no legal requirement for duty assessments to be recorded in a specific format.</p><p>The Government Legal Department (GLD) is the Attorney General’s Office’s (AGO) HR shared service provider and is therefore responsible for EIAs at the AGO. In the last five years, GLD has completed four EIAs when making substantive changes to HR policies and procedures (two EIAs in 2021 and two in 2023).</p><p>The AGO has completed no EIAs relating to policy changes. This aligns with its role as a department that does not hold policy in its own right.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 25/01/2024 13:18:39 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
	tabling member	4679 label Biography information for Neil O'Brien

1694142

	registered interest
	date	06/03/2024
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Attorney General: Fraud and Maladministration
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what estimate she has made of the amount of money lost to fraud and error by her Department in each of the last three financial years.
	tabling member constituency	Llanelli
	tabling member printed	Dame Nia Griffith
	uin	17321
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>There have been no incidents of money lost to fraud and error by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) in each of the last three financial years.</p><p>Information relating to detected fraud and error for the AGO is published in the HM Procurator General and Treasury Solicitor Annual Reports and Accounts (HMPGTS Accounts). The HMPGTS Accounts for the financial years 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23 are available on GOV.UK at the following links: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/gld-ago-and-hmcpsi-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-to-2021" target="_blank">2020-21</a>, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-procurator-general-and-treasury-solicitor-annual-report-and-accounts-2021-22" target="_blank">2021-22</a>, and <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/hm-procurator-general-treasury-solicitor-annual-report-2022-23" target="_blank">2022-23</a>. The HMPGTS Accounts contain information relating to the AGO, Government Legal Department, and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate.</p><p>The Government is proud of its record in proactively seeking to find and prevent more fraud in the system. We have established the dedicated Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA). In its first year, it delivered £311 million in audited counter fraud benefits.</p><p>The PSFA produces a Fraud Landscape Report which is available on GOV.UK: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cross-government-fraud-landscape-annual-report-2022" target="_blank">Cross-Government Fraud Landscape Annual Report 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>. This provides data on fraud and error detection, loss and recoveries in central government, outside of the tax and welfare system. The 2020-21 Report was published in March 2023.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 12/03/2024 10:32:45 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
	tabling member	1541 label Biography information for Dame Nia Griffith

1693245

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Attorney General: Publishing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what reports and guidance their Department has produced in the last three years; and how much was spent on their (a) printing and (b) distribution.
	tabling member constituency	Llanelli
	tabling member printed	Dame Nia Griffith
	uin	16625
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2024 answer text <p>The requested information is not centrally held, and complying with this request would incur a disproportionate cost to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO). Reports and guidance that the AGO has published can be found on GOV.UK at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/search/all?organisations%5b%5d=attorney-generals-office&amp;order=updated-newest&amp;parent=attorney-generals-office" target="_blank">Search - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>.</p><p>Please note that I am responding on behalf of the AGO only, and not the departments superintended by the Attorney General and I (the Crown Prosecution Service, HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate, Government Legal Department, and Serious Fraud Office).</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 07/03/2024 11:25:23 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
	tabling member	1541 label Biography information for Dame Nia Griffith

1676357

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2023
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Conversion Therapy
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, whether his Department has issued guidance to the (a) police and (b) Crown Prosecution Service on using existing legislation to tackle conversion practices against LGBT People.
	tabling member constituency	Darlington
	tabling member printed	Peter Gibson
	uin	5875
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2023 answer text <p>The police are the responsibility of the Home Office.</p><p>While the Attorney General's Office superintends the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the CPS are operationally independent. The CPS bring prosecutions in line with the Code for Crown prosecutors.</p><p>The Attorney General's Office has not issued any guidance to the CPS.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 14/12/2023 14:36:02 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
	tabling member	4754 label Biography information for Peter Gibson

1687624

	registered interest
	date	05/02/2024
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Homicide: Aiding and Abetting
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the Code for Crown Prosecutors, how many and what proportion of joint enterprise (a) homicide, and (b) attempted homicide charges in the Crown Prosecution Service Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023 that used the Threshold Test subsequently recorded an application of the Full Code Test.
	tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Riverside
	tabling member printed	Kim Johnson
	uin	13184
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/02/2024 answer text <p>The methodology of the Crown Prosecution Service (“CPS”) Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023 (the “Joint Enterprise Pilot”) is set out on the CPS website: <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/crown-prosecution-service-joint-enterprise-pilot-2023-data-analysis" target="_blank">Crown Prosecution Service Joint Enterprise Pilot 2023: Data Analysis | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk)</a>.</p><p>The methodology involved the application of a local ‘flag’ to joint enterprise homicide and attempted homicide cases which were then manually reviewed and certain case features counted. The number of cases in which the Threshold Test in the Code for Crown Prosecutors was applied was not counted during the Joint Enterprise Pilot and it is not possible to extract further management information from the local ‘flag’ centrally.</p><p>Informed by the results of the Joint Enterprise Pilot, the CPS has updated its case management system in order to commence a full national monitoring scheme in the spring. A new mandatory national Joint Enterprise Monitoring Code ‘flag’ will enable the CPS to extract management information from such cases centrally, including whether the Threshold Test was applied when a defendant was charged.</p><p>The Code for Crown Prosecutors is clear that the Threshold Test may only be applied after a rigorous examination of its five conditions. This ensures that it is only applied when necessary and that cases are not charged prematurely. Any decision to charge under the Threshold Test must be kept under review and the Full Code Test must be applied as soon as practicable.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 09/02/2024 17:03:29 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
	tabling member	4824 label Biography information for Kim Johnson