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1713005

registered interest
date	23/04/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Crown Court: Standards
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 tackle the backlog in the Crown Court.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	23198
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>We remain committed to tackling the outstanding caseload in the Crown Court and have introduced a range of measures to achieve this aim.</p><p> </p><p>We expect to have sat around 107,000 days at the Crown Court in the last financial year (FY2023/24), representing around a 30% increase on sitting day levels during the 2019/20 financial year. We have also recruited around 1,000 judges and tribunal members across all jurisdictions in the last financial year so we can hear more cases.</p><p> </p><p>Judges have worked tirelessly to complete more cases. HMCTS Management Information shows that disposals have increased throughout the last calendar year, with February disposals being at their highest level than at any other point in the last 12 months, with 9,958 disposals in February 2024, up 18% on February 2023 (8,451).</p><p> </p><p>We are also investing more in our criminal courts. In August 2023, we announced we are investing £220 million for essential modernisation and repair work of our court buildings across the next two years, up to March 2025. We have also continued the use of 20 Nightingale courtrooms into the 2024/25 financial year, to allow courts to work at full capacity.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 01/05/2024 16:05:23 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1691596

registered interest
date	26/02/2024
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Shamima Begum
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the total cost to the public purse was for legal fees relating to the Shamima Begum case.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	15639
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2024 answer text <p>Please note that legal aid is not paid directly to the individual in receipt of legal aid. Legal aid is paid to legal representatives to ensure access to justice.</p><p>The scope of immigration and asylum matters covered by legal aid are set out at Schedule 1 to Part 1 of the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012.</p><p>In civil legal aid cases an applicant must satisfy both a merits and strict financial eligibility test to qualify for legal aid (unless a specific exemption applies). If they do not satisfy these tests, then legal aid will not be made available to them. Applicants who meet the relevant financial eligibility thresholds may still be required to pay a significant contribution towards the costs of their case. The eligibility criteria are kept under review as the case progresses and legal aid may be withdrawn where they are no longer satisfied.</p><p>As at the time of writing, a total of £246,097.34 has been paid to legal aid providers in connection with representing Shamima Begum. A breakdown of these costs can be found in the table below:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Case Type</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Matter/Proceeding</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Start Date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>End Date</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Solicitors</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Barristers</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Total Costs</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Civil rep - Immigration</p></td><td><p>Special Immigration Appeals Commission - Asylum</p></td><td><p>15/04/2019</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>£0.00</p></td><td><p>£238,000.34</p></td><td><p>£238,000.34</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Civil rep - Public Law</p></td><td><p>Action for Judicial Review - Pub Law</p></td><td><p>23/08/2021</p></td><td><p>-</p></td><td><p>£8,097.00</p></td><td><p>£0.00</p></td><td><p>£8,097.00</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Total</p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>£8,097.00</p></td><td><p>£238,000.34</p></td><td><p>£246,097.34</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The costs include VAT and disbursements where applicable. Disbursements are expenses incurred which although paid by the Legal Aid Agency directly to legal aid providers, are then paid to other parties involved in the case.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 04/03/2024 14:17:46 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1658552

registered interest
date	06/09/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Child Trust Fund: Disability
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he is taking steps to simplify the process for parents of disabled children to access child trust fund accounts when their children turn eighteen.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	198046
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2023 answer text <p>Anyone who wishes to manage the finances of a person who lacks the mental capacity to do so for themselves, which includes children turning 18, must have the legal authority to do so. In England and Wales legal authority is obtained by applying to the Court of Protection.</p><p>In February the Court of Protection introduced an online process to streamline and speed up processing times for property and affairs applications. This has resulted in decisions for a Court of Protection application being obtained within 8 weeks instead of 24 weeks. We continue to review and revise the process and the court will continue to identify areas to simplify and remove duplication on court forms, including uploading to the online process many of the forms required for a property and affairs applications.</p><p>My friend represents Northern Ireland. I cannot comment on the situation there as this responsibility is devolved.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 14/09/2023 16:15:28 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1648461

registered interest
date	28/06/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Family Courts: Children
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 potential merits of allowing children to be present at family courts.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	191577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2023 answer text <p>The Government has not made an assessment of the merits of allowing children to be present in the family courts. In family proceedings the child’s welfare is of paramount consideration and as part of its considerations the court is required to take the wishes and feelings of children into account, in line with their age and level of understanding.</p><p>Cafcass ensure the child’s voice is heard at the heart of the family court setting, in both public and private law proceedings. In order to ensure a child is involved in proceedings, Cafcass may provide the child the opportunity to write a letter or draw a picture to the judge in the case, the child may also be provided with the opportunity to meet with the judge. A Cafcass family court advisor will submit their own analysis of the evidence and ensure that the child’s wishes and views are properly represented. We increased funding to the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass) by £8.4 million in the last financial year.</p><p>Part 16(2) of the Family Procedure Rules details that a child may be made a party to family court proceedings if it is in their best interests to do so. Where a child is made party to proceedings, a guardian or litigation friend will be appointed to safeguard the child’s interests. Under part 16(6) of the rules the court may grant a child the right to conduct proceedings without a guardian or litigation friend so long as the court is satisfied the child has sufficient understanding to participate as a party.</p><p>In response to the Harm Panel report, the Government committed to exploring how to enhance the voice of the child in private law proceedings to ensure children’s wishes and views are central to proceedings concerning them. This includes the launch of the Integrated Domestic Abuse Court pilots in February 2022 where we are trialling a new model which in part aims to enhance the ‘voice of the child’ in proceedings. As part of the evaluation of the pilots we will be working with partners and stakeholders to assess methods of child engagement and understand more about how and when children want to be involved in the court process.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 06/07/2023 09:06:23 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1611644

registered interest
date	18/04/2023
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	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will consider the potential merits of introducing a sliding scale for eligibility for legal aid.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	181188
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2023 answer text <p>The Government is currently undertaking a review of legal aid means testing across England and Wales and will publish its response in due course. The review sets out proposals for means testing in the round, including the thresholds for legal aid entitlement and the eligibility arrangements for those receiving welfare benefits <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/legal-aid-means-test-review" target="_blank">Legal Aid Means Test Review - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>. Legal aid remains a devolved matter in Northern Ireland and issues related to both the policy and delivery of such services fall to the Department of Justice for Northern Ireland and the Legal Services Agency Northern Ireland.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 26/04/2023 14:15:33 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1535112

registered interest
date	24/10/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Divorce
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 help reduce the number of divorces.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	69635
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/11/2022 answer text <p>Marriage will always be a vital institution in our society, but divorce does sadly occur. The Government is committed to supporting families. That is why we have announced over £1billion for programmes to improve family services, including family hubs and investing in the Supporting Families programme. We have published guidance for local authorities on the services we expect family hubs to offer, which includes helping families to access support for separating and separated parents.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 01/11/2022 14:49:35 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon