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1331869

registered interest
date	10/06/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Ministry of Justice: Artificial Intelligence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, to what extent their Department makes use of artificial intelligence in the implementation of its policies; and how much was spent from their Department’s budget on artificial intelligence in each of the last three years.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	14056
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2021 answer text <p>The department does not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Learning (ML) in the true definition across its services. The department has an Analytical Platform which spots trends and create links between data sets; however, this wouldn’t fall under either category. A case study on the Analytical Platform can be found here:</p><p>https://www.gov.uk/guidance/choose-tools-and-infrastructure-to-make-better-use-of-your-data#case-study---using-data-science-with-the-ministry-of-justice-analytical-platform</p><p>With its analytical platform, the department has built a set of tools that provide the basis for the potential development of AI/ML tools, and alongside this, we are undertaking a project that builds on the Office for Artificial Intelligence guidance to develop practical tools and governance to support the ethical development of any future AL/ML project. The Government’s Data Ethics Framework and ‘Guide to Using AI in the Public Sector’, alongside other guidance are available on GOV.UK, to support ethical and safe use of algorithms in the public sector.</p><p>The Department continues to review where artificial intelligence or machine learning would add value to undertaking its duties. In most circumstances we use software in place of machine learning or Artificial Intelligence.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 18/06/2021 15:11:38 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1311502

registered interest
date	22/04/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Family Courts: Safety
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps he has taken to help ensure the safety and welfare of children in family courts during custody decisions, where safety concerns have been raised by a parent or child to (a) the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service and (b) social service officers.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	185998
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>The welfare of the child is the court’s paramount concern. The court makes decisions about the future arrangements of children based on this fundamental principle as set out in the 1989 Children Act. Any concerns raised by a parent or a child are taken seriously and considered in line with existing procedures.</p><p> </p><p>Where an application is made to court for a child arrangements order, Cafcass assesses risks to children using the Child Impact and Assessment Framework (CIAF). This brings together guides and tools which Family Court Advisers can use to help them assess the impact of different factors on the child. These may include: domestic abuse; harmful conflict; child refusal or resistance to spend time with one of their parents; and other forms of harmful parenting arising from issues such as substance misuse or mental health difficulties. Cafcass also undertakes safeguarding checks and provides relevant information to the court in a safeguarding letter before the first hearing. All Cafcass practitioners are qualified social workers with at least three years’ post qualifying experience. Cafcass conducts checks of police records and makes enquiries of the local authority. It will include in its safeguarding letter any relevant convictions or cautions or prior local authority involvement.</p><p> </p><p>Following the first hearing, the court may order Cafcass or the Local Authority to complete a Section 7 report if it wants more information on the welfare of the child and what is best for them. This is considered by the court when making a final decision on the future arrangements for a child. If welfare or safeguarding concerns are raised by parents, children or other agencies to the Local Authority, social workers at the relevant Authority will investigate and decide whether they need to apply to the court for a Care or Supervision Order. The Public Law Outline sets out the duties and steps the local authority has when making this decision. This process is separate to the one followed when a child arrangements order is concerned.</p><p> </p><p>In June 2020, the MoJ’s expert panel published their report on ‘Assessing Risk of Harm to Children and Parents in Private Law Children Cases’. We are continuing work to deliver against the commitments set out in the Government’s Implementation Plan to improve the experience of users of the family courts. We have launched the review into the presumption of parental involvement and how it is applied where there is an allegation or evidence to suggest that parental involvement will put the child at risk of harm. We also have plans to trial a stronger ‘voice of the child’, to ensure children’s wishes and views are central to the court process.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 29/04/2021 10:39:15 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1311503

registered interest
date	22/04/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Children: Domestic Abuse
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he has taken to help ensure that (a) the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service and (b) social service officers have the necessary (i) experience, (ii) qualifications, (iii) time and (iv) authority to investigate allegations of (A) violence and (B) abuse.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	185999
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>While it is not the role of Cafcass staff to investigate the truth of allegations of violence and abuse, Cafcass officers will identify when domestic abuse is alleged, assess the impact on the child’s welfare and make recommendations to the court, which may include the court holding a finding of fact hearing to determine any allegations of abuse.</p><p> </p><p>All Cafcass practitioners are qualified social workers with at least three years’ post-qualification experience. Every practitioner receives training in assessing domestic abuse and has access to learning packages and programmes developed in collaboration with organisations with specialist knowledge of domestic abuse, including a learning package on coercive and controlling behaviours.</p><p> </p><p>Cafcass has a domestic abuse practice pathway which brings together the range of tools practitioners use for identifying domestic abuse, assessing its impact and making recommendations to the court about programmes to address perpetrator behaviour. Cafcass has recently reviewed the pathway, working alongside partners including organisations that work with parents with lived experience of the family courts, and will roll out updated training for all its staff in the next year. This training will take account of recommendations from Cafcass’ Learning and Improvement Board, which draws on the findings of the MoJ Expert Panel on Harm in the Family Courts.</p><p> </p><p>The timetable for court proceedings is set by the court. This usually allows around three weeks to complete a safeguarding letter for the first court hearing, and around three months to complete a Section 7 assessment report. The proportion of Section 7 reports that are filed on time is one of Cafcass’ Key Performance Indicators. For the period 2019-20, 98.7% of reports were filed by the agreed date.</p><p> </p><p>Social services officers are employed by local authorities and are not the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 29/04/2021 10:43:08 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1276798

registered interest
date	14/01/2021
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Crown Court: Law Reporting
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of court transcripts in Crown Court cases.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	138017
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/01/2021 answer text <p>The Ministry is committed to ensuring the justice system is supported by quality transcription services that meet the needs of all those that require them.</p><p>As part of the transcription contract which began on 26 June 2017 the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) is confident that crown court transcripts provided by the Suppliers have a high degree of accuracy. The service provided by the suppliers is monitored by the MoJ and requires contracted Suppliers to sample a proportion of all transcripts produced on a monthly basis and report their findings to the Ministry. There is in place a robust complaints procedure which includes a quality assessment check of the transcript in question, the conclusion of which is decided by the Ministry.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 22/01/2021 14:02:03 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1248966

registered interest
date	04/11/2020
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, what recent estimate he has made of the number of magistrates who are (a) BAME or (b) under the age of 30.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	111600
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>As of 1<sup>st</sup> April 2020, there were 13,177 magistrates across England and Wales. 1,539 magistrates (13% of those who declared their ethnicity) identified themselves as from a Black, Asian or Ethnic Minority Background and 153 (1%) are under the age of 30. This data is published in the annual Judicial Diversity Statistics.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 09/11/2020 17:43:08 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1248967

registered interest
date	04/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Crown Court: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect on the crown court backlog of the November 2020 covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	111601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>Crown courts will continue to operate within COVID-secure guidelines during national lockdown restrictions in England and the national fire-break in Wales. Covid-19 has been an unprecedented challenge for the criminal justice system but HMCTS has worked closely with the judiciary to keep courts open and cases flowing through the system.</p><p>We continue to make significant progress on Criminal Courts Recovery in the Crown Court and there are now over 250 rooms safely open for jury trials. We are listing over 200 jury trials and conducting thousands of other hearings each week.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 09/11/2020 17:45:04 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1248968

registered interest
date	04/11/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his planned timescale is for rolling out problem-solving courts in England and Wales if the trial of those courts is judged to be effective.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	111602
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>We have committed to creating pilots for problem-solving courts that will focus on individuals where their offending is related to drug or alcohol misuse, mental health issues or domestic abuse, where their offence could have been punished with up to two years custody. We will also pilot a problem-solving court for women. Legislation to enable this will be brought forward in the near future. The location of the pilots, the timing of their commencement and the criteria against which they will be evaluated are currently being developed. Any further roll out of problem-solving courts will be decided based on the evaluation of the pilots.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 09/11/2020 17:46:46 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi