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1131230

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Council Tax: Arrears
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the increase in council tax arrears since 2014.
	tabling member constituency	Makerfield
	tabling member printed	Yvonne Fovargue
	uin	263136
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>Council tax arrears reported by local authorities in England for 2014-15 to 2017-18 can be found in Table 7 of the 'Collection rates for Council Tax and non-domestic rates in England' statistical release. The link to the latest table is <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/743738/Table_7_2017-18_revised.xlsx" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/743738/Table_7_2017-18_revised.xlsx</a>.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 13/06/2019 16:33:50 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
	tabling member	4034 label Biography information for Yvonne Fovargue

1131231

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Council Tax: Debt Collection
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's policies of the Citizens Advice Costs of Collection report finding that council tax collection practices are adding nearly half a billion pounds a year to personal debt.
	tabling member constituency	Makerfield
	tabling member printed	Yvonne Fovargue
	uin	263137
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>I am aware of concerns of charities, debt advice bodies and local councils about council tax debt. That is why my Department is engaging with, and reviewing evidence compiled by these bodies with a view to making council tax debt collection fairer, more efficient and compassionate. Following these discussions we intend to publish updated guidance on good collection practices, before considering the scope for further reforms.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 18/06/2019 13:37:24 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
	tabling member	4034 label Biography information for Yvonne Fovargue

1131232

	registered interest
	date	11/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Council Tax: Non-payment
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to amend The Council Tax (Administration and Enforcement) Regulations 1992 to remove the sanction of imprisonment for non-payment of council tax.
	tabling member constituency	Makerfield
	tabling member printed	Yvonne Fovargue
	uin	263138
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is currently engaging with a range of stakeholders to consider how to improve council tax collection. Following those discussions, we intend to publish updated guidance on good collection practices, before considering the scope of further reforms. The Government is clear that imprisonment should only ever be the last resort for non-payment of council tax. Before a magistrates’ court commits someone to prison for failure to pay their council tax, it must inquire as to the debtor’s means, and satisfy itself that failure to pay is due to “wilful refusal or culpable neglect”. This is to prevent persons who are genuinely unable to pay their council tax from being committed to prison.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 18/06/2019 13:38:21 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
	tabling member	4034 label Biography information for Yvonne Fovargue

1125294

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Courts: ICT
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the Transform Justice blog entitled The secret room – who is listening to what in digital courts?, published on 11 April 2019, if he will make an assessment of the accuracy of reports in that blog that a secret video control room was placed in a court in Medway; and what information his Department hold on whether that is widespread practice in other courts.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
	tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
	uin	251946
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2019 answer text <p>There is no secret video control room at Medway Magistrates’ Court.</p><p>There is a control room, not accessible to the public, where the coordination of participants and the connection and disconnection of video hearings to the courtroom takes place. This function is carried out by a HMCTS video court administrator. There are no other courts operating a control room across the criminal court estate.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 17/05/2019 12:13:37 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1125365

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Treatment Of, and Outcomes For, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Individuals in the Criminal Justice System Independent Review
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2019 to Question 235745 on Treatment of, and Outcomes for, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Individuals in the Criminal Justice System Independent Review, when the review of the Supreme Court's recommendations will be completed; and what steps will be taken to ensure that his Department complies with the Court's ruling.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
	tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
	uin	251975
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2019 answer text <p>We are awaiting the Order from the Supreme Court setting out the instructions it has made in respect of the judgment. Once we have received this, we will come forward with proposals for reform in response to the judgment.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 17/05/2019 11:40:17 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1125411

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Aiding and Abetting: Ethnic Groups
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the ethnicity is of adults who are (a) charged and (b) convicted of joint enterprise in the latest period for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
	tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
	uin	251981
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2019 answer text <p>Joint enterprise is a common law doctrine that applies to any offence where more than one person is being charged and convicted of the same crime. The Ministry of Justice only collects information on the ethnicity of defendants that are prosecuted and convicted of specific criminal offences in England and Wales (i.e. murder, manslaughter, etc) in any given year. Information is not collated on whether a prosecution or conviction also relied on the law of joint enterprise. Such information may be held on court records, but could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard grouped question UIN 251982 question first answered 17/05/2019 12:12:19 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1125412

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Aiding and Abetting: Ethnic Groups
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the ethnicity is of defendants under the age of 18 who have been (a) charged and (b) convicted of joint enterprise in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
	tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
	uin	251982
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2019 answer text <p>Joint enterprise is a common law doctrine that applies to any offence where more than one person is being charged and convicted of the same crime. The Ministry of Justice only collects information on the ethnicity of defendants that are prosecuted and convicted of specific criminal offences in England and Wales (i.e. murder, manslaughter, etc) in any given year. Information is not collated on whether a prosecution or conviction also relied on the law of joint enterprise. Such information may be held on court records, but could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard grouped question UIN 251981 question first answered 17/05/2019 12:12:19 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1126077

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	HM Courts and Tribunals Service
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference paragraph 7.20 of HM Courts & Tribunals Service response to the consultation paper entitled Fit for the future: transforming the Court and Tribunal Estate, what steps he is taking to determine appropriate capacity utilisation of the HM Courts & Tribunals estate; and what the date is for the completion of that analysis.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
	tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
	uin	253542
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service is currently investigating how to appropriately evaluate optimum utilisation rates for courts and tribunals, looking at past data on utilisation and performance. We anticipate that this analytical work will be completed prior to the publication of any further proposals regarding the court or tribunal estate.</p><p> </p><p>Maintaining effective access to justice will be the top priority when making decisions about the future of courts and tribunals buildings.</p><p> </p><p>The closure of any court is not taken lightly and, where a service is moved outside the local area, will only follow a full public consultation. To date, courts that have closed have been dilapidated, too close to another or underused. All money raised from the sale of buildings since 2016 has been reinvested back into the justice system.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 21/05/2019 15:42:20 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1126081

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Courts: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many court buildings in the south west of England were inaccessible to (a) defendants and witnesses, (b) members of the public and (c) court staff with disabilities in the week beginning 6 May 2019; and how many of those buildings were only temporarily inaccessible in that week because of broken lifts; and how many of those courts were inaccessible to at least one of those groups for (i) more than one week and (ii) more than one month in the latest period for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
	tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
	uin	253543
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service is committed to ensuring access to courts and tribunals is maintained for staff and service users. We have a reasonable adjustments policy in place to accommodate those with particular access requirements. Disabled access was typically not factored in when many of our court and tribunal buildings were built. However, we have a number of accessible courts that our criminal justice partners are aware of, and these are used to list cases where a defendant might have accessibility needs.</p><p> </p><p>The majority of our buildings were accessible to the user groups listed during the period in question. Of the 40 total courts and tribunals in the South West, none were inaccessible to witnesses, staff or members of the public during the week commencing 6 May 2019, whilst 27 were inaccessible to one very specific user group with disabilities (defendants using custodial facilities).</p><p> </p><p>No buildings were temporarily inaccessible due to broken lifts.</p><p> </p><p>We aim to list cases at suitable venues when there are access needs. Where access issues do arise various mitigations are explored, including video-conferencing from a remote site, the use of judicial or staff lifts, or later start times for those who require longer to travel to court.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2015/16, we have invested more than £114m to improve court buildings and, in last year’s Budget, the Chancellor announced an additional £15m to be spent on improving maintenance and security across the estate.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 21/05/2019 15:39:33 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1126082

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Courts: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many court buildings in the south east of England, excluding Greater London, were inaccessible to (a) defendants and witnesses, (b) members of the public and (c) court staff with disabilities in the week beginning 6 May 2019; and how many of those buildings were only temporarily inaccessible in that week because of broken lifts; and how many of those courts were inaccessible to at least one of those groups for (i) more than one week and (ii) more than one month in the latest period for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
	tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
	uin	253544
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service is committed to ensuring access to courts and tribunals is maintained for staff and service users. We have a reasonable adjustments policy in place to accommodate those with particular access requirements. Disabled access was typically not factored in when many of our court and tribunal buildings were built. However, we have a number of accessible courts that our criminal justice partners are aware of, and these are used to list cases where a defendant might have accessibility needs.</p><p> </p><p>The majority of our buildings were accessible to the user groups listed during the period in question. Of the 81 total courts and tribunals in the South East, only 11 were inaccessible to witnesses and members of the public during the week commencing 6 May 2019, none were inaccessible to staff, whilst 39 were inaccessible to one very specific user group with disabilities (defendants using custodial facilities).</p><p> </p><p>3 of those buildings were temporarily inaccessible in that week because of broken lifts, of which 3 were inaccessible for more than one month.</p><p> </p><p>We aim to list cases at suitable venues when there are access needs. Where access issues do arise various mitigations are explored, including video-conferencing from a remote site, the use of judicial or staff lifts, or later start times for those who require longer to travel to court.</p><p> </p><p>Since 2015/16, we have invested more than £114m to improve court buildings and, in last year’s Budget, the Chancellor announced an additional £15m to be spent on improving maintenance and security across the estate.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 21/05/2019 16:10:28 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi