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1717492

registered interest
date	13/05/2024
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Salvage: South Africa
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what discussions she has had with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) the Government of South Africa on (i) the Supreme Court judgment of 8 May 2024 in Argentum Exploration Ltd v Republic of South Africa [2024] UKSC 16 and (ii) the silver cargo in that case.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	25832
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/05/2024 answer text <p>I have not had any discussions with the Government of South Africa on this legal case.</p><p> </p><p>With respect to discussions with Cabinet colleagues, the Law Officers’ Convention requires that it is not generally disclosed outside Government whether I have been asked to provide advice or the contents of any such advice. This is a long-standing principle of Cabinet collective agreement which enables the government of the day to obtain frank and full legal advice in confidence.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 20/05/2024 10:49:23 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1689091

registered interest
date	16/02/2024
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Attorney General: Information Officers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many posts there are for (a) press, (b) media and (c) other communications staff in her Department; and what the salary band is for each post.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	14020
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2024 answer text <p>The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) press and media team is made up of five employees. Roles range from Higher Executive Officer (HEO) to Grade 6 and have salaries between £33,309 (the lower limit of HEO) and £77,456 (the upper limit of Grade 6).</p><p>As announced by the Government last year, departments are submitting productivity plans to modernise the Civil Service and reduce the size of the state to pre-pandemic levels.</p><p>Other communication roles (correspondence) in the AGO are covered by two employees in the corporate services team.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 23/02/2024 13:51:10 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1684460

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	Attorney General: Carbon Emissions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what targets her Department has set to help achieve the Government's commitments on net zero.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	11076
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2024 answer text <p>As part of the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/greening-government-commitments-2021-to-2025/greening-government-commitments-2021-to-2025" target="_blank">greening government commitments framework</a>, set for the period between April 2021 to March 2025, the Attorney General’s Office’s <em>overall</em> and <em>direct</em> emissions reduction targets are 49% and 25%, respectively.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 29/01/2024 13:51:56 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1648145

registered interest
date	27/06/2023
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Rape: Prosecutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of Operation Soteria on the level of prosecution for rape offences.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	191289
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2023 answer text <p>Operation Soteria is a significant step-change in Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and Police ways of working to ensure national consistency in the approach to handling adult rape cases.</p><p>Since the launch of Operation Soteria pilots, the CPS has observed consistent improvements in performance on rape prosecutions.</p><p>For example, in CPS London North we have seen significant improvements in our prosecutions flagged as adult rape, with a 24% increase in the calendar year 2022 compared to 2021. Similarly, charging decisions on cases flagged as adult rape have also increased in CPS London North, by 41% in the calendar year 2022 compared to 2021.</p> answering member constituency Mid Dorset and North Poole answering member printed Michael Tomlinson question first answered 05/07/2023 09:12:14 answering member 4497 label Biography information for Michael Tomlinson
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1648146

registered interest
date	27/06/2023
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Prosecutions: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps the Crown Prosecution Service is taking to adopt a child-first approach to prosecuting people under the age of 18.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	191290
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2023 answer text <p>Each CPS Area has a lead prosecutor for cases involving children, who is equipped to deal with complex casework and provide support to other prosecutors.</p><p>In May 2023, the CPS published the single biggest update to their legal guidance on Children as Suspects and Defendants, which can be found here: <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/children-suspects-and-defendants" target="_blank">Children as suspects and defendants | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk)</a>. This guidance sets out the approach prosecutors should take when applying the <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/code-crown-prosecutors" target="_blank">Code for Crown Prosecutors</a> when deciding whether to prosecute children. This update incorporates all recent policy, terminology, and legislative updates, and is intended to reflect a ‘Child First’ justice principle.</p> answering member constituency Mid Dorset and North Poole answering member printed Michael Tomlinson question first answered 04/07/2023 13:57:59 answering member 4497 label Biography information for Michael Tomlinson
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1648147

registered interest
date	27/06/2023
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Crime: Ukraine
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the operation of the special mechanism of justice for the investigation and judicial examination of crime by occupiers in Ukraine announced by President Zelensky in April 2022.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	191291
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2023 answer text <p>Accountability for Russia’s actions is one of the key tenets of UK foreign policy on the Ukraine crisis – alongside military, economic, and humanitarian support. The UK is genuinely a practical and thought leader on this.</p><p>There are three broad strands to our work on accountability. First, the UK has provided expert assistance to assist Ukrainian investigators and prosecutors. Second the UK, alongside the international community, will continue to provide the International Criminal Court with the funding, people, and expertise to ensure justice is served. Third, we are exploring options to hold Russia accountable for the Crime of Aggression.</p><p>On 20 January 2023, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK had accepted Ukraine’s invitation to join a core group of States to shape thinking on how to ensure criminal accountability for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. On 4 March 2023 at the United for Justice conference in Lviv, it was announced that an International Centre for the Prosecution of Crimes of Aggression against Ukraine will be established in The Hague, within the structure of Eurojust’s Joint Investigation Team for Ukraine. I represented the UK at that conference.</p><p>On 18 April 2023, the Foreign Ministers of the G7 countries issued a joint communiqué stating that they “support exploring the creation of an internationalized tribunal based in Ukraine’s judicial system to prosecute the crime of aggression against Ukraine.” On 26 June 2023 the Ukrainian Prosecutor General and I attended an event hosted by the Slynn Foundation which considered impunity and justice and accountability for Ukraine.</p><p>I continue to have discussions on the principle and practicalities of accountability mechanisms with Cabinet colleagues, including the Foreign Secretary and Lord Chancellor on a regular basis. In addition, I have regular discussions with our Ukrainian allies and my international counterparts on these issues.</p> answering member constituency Banbury answering member printed Victoria Prentis question first answered 05/07/2023 09:00:10 answering member 4401 label Biography information for Victoria Prentis
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1648148

registered interest
date	27/06/2023
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Crimes of Violence: Prosecutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the level of prosecution of serious violent crime in London.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	191292
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2023 answer text <p>Serious violent crime encompasses many different crime types but is more commonly associated with drug crime, knife crime, gun crime and homicide.</p><ul><li>In 2022, CPS London prosecuted 10,675 defendants allocated the principal offence category of Drugs Offences with a conviction rate of 87.4%.</li><li>In the same period, CPS London prosecuted 255 defendants allocated the principal offence category of Homicide with a conviction rate of 78.0%.</li><li>In 2022, CPS London charged 3,734 knife crime offences under Section 139 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and 2,624 offences under Section 1 of the Prevention of Crime Act 1953.</li><li>In 2022, CPS London charged 1411 firearms offences under the Firearms Act 1968.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Mid Dorset and North Poole answering member printed Michael Tomlinson question first answered 05/07/2023 14:44:28 answering member 4497 label Biography information for Michael Tomlinson
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1624096

registered interest
date	26/04/2023
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Attorney General: Water
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what progress his Department has made on achieving water neutrality on his Department's estate.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	182838
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/05/2023 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td><p>The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) leases part of an estate which is managed by the Ministry of Justice and the Government Property Agency. The AGO therefore does not manage the quality of the water on the estate.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Mid Dorset and North Poole answering member printed Michael Tomlinson question first answered 17/05/2023 08:46:44 answering member 4497 label Biography information for Michael Tomlinson
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1612563

registered interest
date	19/04/2023
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Sexual Offences: Greater London
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of support provided to Crown Prosecution Service lawyers prosecuting rape and serious sexual offences in London.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	181853
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2023 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td><p>The CPS has a comprehensive programme of learning and wellbeing support for all lawyers prosecuting rape and serious sexual offences, including those in London. All lawyers dealing with such casework are required to undertake bespoke training providing a clear understanding of the complexities surrounding the offence, the suspect centric approach, the impact of trauma upon victim’s memory and how to reach Code compliant decisions and assessment of evidence. The wellbeing of all lawyers and paralegals dealing with such offences is paramount and as such, timely and accessible wellbeing support mechanisms are in place to support the mental and physical wellbeing of those dealing with traumatic material.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Mid Dorset and North Poole answering member printed Michael Tomlinson question first answered 26/04/2023 16:29:20 answering member 4497 label Biography information for Michael Tomlinson
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

1612564

registered interest
date	19/04/2023
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	War Crimes: Ukraine
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions she has had with the Ukrainian Prosecutor General on the progress of criminal investigations and prosecutions in that country into potential war crimes perpetrated during the Russian invasion.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	181854
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/05/2023 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td><p>The United Kingdom stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in its fight for accountability for Russia’s actions.</p><p>The Attorney General has regular contact with her Ukrainian counterpart, Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin. She visited him in Kyiv and joined him at Ukraine’s United for Justice conference in Lviv over 3 to 5 March, and more recently hosted him in London for the UK-Dutch Justice Ministers’ Conference in support of the International Criminal Court’s investigation into the situation in Ukraine.</p><p>Prosecutor General Kostin is responsible for the extraordinary task of investigating and prosecuting crimes committed in Ukraine and has opened over 80,000 files covering a range of alleged offences. The Ukrainian authorities have brought successful war crimes prosecutions already in Ukraine’s domestic courts, in real time during this live and brutal conflict – a practically unprecedented achievement.</p><p>We are supporting Ukraine in their domestic legal processes through a number of significant initiatives. We have recently concluded a judicial training programme in the region, led by Sir Howard Morrison KC, training over 100 judges in person on the conduct of war crimes trials.</p><p>The UK, together with the United States and EU, has also launched the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group (ACA) to directly support the War Crimes Units of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine in its investigation and prosecution of conflict-related crimes. The ACA seeks to streamline coordination and communication efforts to ensure best practices, avoid duplication of efforts, and encourage the expeditious deployment of financial resources and skilled personnel to respond to the needs of the OPG as the legally constituted authority in Ukraine responsible for dealing with the prosecution of war crimes on its own territory.</p><p>This government remains steadfast in its ongoing support to Ukraine’s search for justice.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Mid Dorset and North Poole answering member printed Michael Tomlinson question first answered 03/05/2023 09:10:44 answering member 4497 label Biography information for Michael Tomlinson
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord