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224324

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Sexual Offences
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the pilot projects in five regions in England on the use of polygraph tests on sex offenders who are being managed in the community.
tabling member printed	Lord Morrow
uin	HL5346
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>In April 2009 the National Offender Management Service commenced a pilot of mandatory polygraph examinations on sexual offenders in nine former Probation Trusts. Operating under legislation introduced in the Offender Management Act 2007, provision was made for all adult sexual offenders sentenced to 12 months or more for a sexual offence and released into the pilot areas to be required to comply with polygraph testing as one of their licence conditions. The pilot involved 332 offenders who were subject to the polygraph licence condition and 303 in a comparison group who were not.</p><p> </p><p>The independent evaluation of the pilot concluded that sexual offenders subject to testing made more than twice the number of clinically significant disclosures than those in the comparison group who had not been subject to polygraph testing. In particular, the evaluation showed that polygraph testing increased the likelihood of preventative actions being taken by offender managers that would contribute to greater protection of the public from harm. The full report is available at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-evaluation-of-the-mandatory-polygraph-pilot" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-evaluation-of-the-mandatory-polygraph-pilot</a></p><p> </p><p>In response to the positive outcomes of the pilot, provisions of the Offender Management Act 2007 were commenced in 2014 to impose the polygraph on all high risk sexual offenders released on licence. With effect from August 2014, all high risk sex offenders on licence are subject to polygraph tests conducted by specially trained staff in the National Probation Service.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 10/03/2015 16:06:36 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	3795 label Biography information for Lord Morrow

224485

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Buildings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) victims and (b) witnesses had access to discrete waiting areas in courts in England and Wales in the last year for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225844
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p>The Government pledged in “Our Commitment to Victims” to consider the needs of victims and witnesses as we reform the court system. This will include upgrading facilities such as separate waiting areas.</p><p> </p><p>All Crown Court Centres have separate waiting facilities for victims and witnesses.</p><p>97% of magistrates’ courts have some kind of separate witness waiting facility.[1] For those courts that do not have this facility, special arrangements are put in place with advance notice.</p><p> </p><p>HM Courts and Tribunals Service uses information about victims and witnesses in criminal cases to ensure that individual trials are managed effectively and victims and witnesses are not kept waiting around unnecessarily to give their evidence. We do not, however, hold data on the number of victims and witnesses choosing to use the discrete waiting areas.</p><p> </p><p>[1] Her Majesty’s Court Service Annual Report and Accounts 2009-2010</p><p>http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/corporate-reports/hmcs/annual-reports/HMCS-Annual-Report2009-2010-web.pdf?type=Finjan-Download&amp;slot=000000A2&amp;id=000000A1&amp;location=0A64020C</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara grouped question UIN 225842 question first answered 09/03/2015 16:33:31 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224486

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Civil Proceedings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many applications for redress to civil or family courts during each of the last five years were deemed to be vexatious.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225848
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Courts &amp; Tribunals Service (HMCTS) does not record the number of applications to the civil and family courts which are deemed to be vexatious. However, HMCTS does record the number of ‘totally without merit’ orders that are made following an application being deemed as totally without merit. The data provided in this answer relates to orders made when applications are deemed to be totally without merit.</p><p> </p><p>HMCTS maintains a national database which lists all civil and family totally without merit orders. The retention period for entries on the database is three years and therefore only data relating to this period is set out in the table below. In addition, the orders may relate to multiple applications and therefore the volume of orders will not necessarily represent the number of applications received by HMCTS.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Table One: Totally without merit orders made in the last three years</strong>[1]</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Time period</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of Totally Without Merit Orders made</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 March 2012 – 28 February 2013</p></td><td><p>2080</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 March 2013 – 28 February 2014</p></td><td><p>3004</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>1 March 2014 – 28 February 2015</p></td><td><p>1495</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>HMCTS does not record the number of victims that have reported vexatious applications or the nature of proceedings, including whether they relate to stalking or harassment. In order to provide the information HMCTS would have to manually review each file that relates to stalking and harassment claims. This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.</p><br /><p>[1] This data is internal HMCTS management information and it is not subject to the same level of checking as Official Statistics.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara grouped question UIN 225847 question first answered 09/03/2015 15:26:16 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224487

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Victim Support Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many victims of crime were given support by state-funded organisations in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225849
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>This Government is committed to putting victims and witnesses first, significantly improving services and support for victims and investing more than ever in the help they are offered. In 2012/13 the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) provided £50.26m to victim’s services and £57.02m in 2013/14. This will reach over £92 million in the next financial year (2015/16).</p><p> </p><p>The MoJ funds a large number of organisations, including registered charities, voluntary and community groups who each complete regular monitoring returns. It would incur disproportionate costs to consolidate each organisation’s monitoring returns for 2013 and 2014 and disclose how many victims of crime were supported.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning grouped question UIN 225838 question first answered 09/03/2015 16:31:56 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224488

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Crime: Victims
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complaints from victims have been received by the Courts and Probation Service in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225845
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>This Government is committed to putting victims and witnesses first, and we are reforming our system to make it so. This includes more than doubling funding to help victims since we came to power — reaching over £92million next year (2015/16) — to make sure victims receive the best possible support.</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>A unified administrative complaints procedure for HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service was launched in October 2011 which introduced a new set of categories and sub categories for recording details of complaints, including from victims. I am unable to provide data on complaints from victims before October 2011.</p><p> </p><p>Data extracted on 4 March 2015 shows the numbers of complaints made by victims to HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service:</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Period</p></td><td><p>Complaints from victims to HMCTS</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Oct 2011 to March 2012</p></td><td><p>64</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2012 to March 2013</p></td><td><p>96</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2013 to March 2014</p></td><td><p>146</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>April 2014 to February 2015</p></td><td><p>147</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The National Offender Management Service does not currently record information centrally in relation to the number of complaints received from victims, and has not made an estimate of this number. Systems are being developed that will record complaints at a national level.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Notes:</p><p>1. Data for criminal cases disposed of in magistrates’ courts and the Crown Court are published in Criminal Courts Statistics Quarterly at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-court-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/criminal-court-statistics</a> .</p><p>2. The methodology for calculating magistrates’ court receipts was changed from April 2012. Data prior to this period is not comparable.</p><p>3. The latest data published is up to September 2014. Data to December 2014 will be published on 26 March 2015.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 09/03/2015 15:48:04 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224489

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Criminal Injuries Compensation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what costs may be incurred by the victim when applying for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225850
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington on 2 March 2015. This can be found on the Parliament.uk website here:</p><p><strong> </strong></p><p><a title="blocked::http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-02-12/224448" href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-02-12/224448" target="_blank">http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-02-12/224448</a></p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning grouped question UIN 225851 225852 question first answered 09/03/2015 14:58:39 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224490

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Victim Support Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how state-funded organisations which support victims are regulated; and how the outcomes of the work of these organisations are monitored by his Department.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225838
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p>This Government is committed to putting victims and witnesses first, significantly improving services and support for victims and investing more than ever in the help they are offered. In 2012/13 the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) provided £50.26m to victim’s services and £57.02m in 2013/14. This will reach over £92 million in the next financial year (2015/16).</p><p> </p><p>The MoJ funds a large number of organisations, including registered charities, voluntary and community groups who each complete regular monitoring returns. It would incur disproportionate costs to consolidate each organisation’s monitoring returns for 2013 and 2014 and disclose how many victims of crime were supported.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning grouped question UIN 225849 question first answered 09/03/2015 16:31:56 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224492

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Pre-trial Procedures
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will introduce pre-trial hearings to determine the nature of cross-examination of victims and witnesses in crown court proceedings.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225840
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>This Government is committed to ensuring vulnerable victims and witnesses have access to high quality, effective and timely support.</p><p> </p><p>The value of pre-trial ground rules is increasingly being recognised and closely links with measures that my Department is implementing to improve the experience of victims and witnesses. These include giving greater opportunity to give evidence away from the court room and, subject to evaluation of the pilot, roll-out of recorded pre-trial cross-examination.</p><p> </p><p>In reviewing how to reduce the distress experienced by vulnerable victims and witnesses in sexual violence cases tried in the Crown Court, we identified that the scope and use of Ground Rules Hearings could be widened.</p><p> </p><p>The Criminal Procedure Rule Committee has agreed amendments to the criminal procedure rules which will encourage use of ground rules to facilitate participation of witnesses (including defendants) in trials. These changes take effect from 6 April 2015. The rules will provide that directions can be given for the appropriate treatment and questioning of a witness, especially where the court directs that such questioning is to be conducted through an intermediary, and list things the court should do where directions for appropriate treatment and questioning are required.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 09/03/2015 13:07:15 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd

224493

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Suicide
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners and what proportion of the prison population have killed themselves in each of the last 20 years.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	225903
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/03/2015 answer text <p /> <p>Data on deaths in custody, including the numbers and rates of self-inflicted deaths in each of the last 20 years, is published in the Safety in Custody Statistics Bulletin, available at <a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-in-custody-statistics" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/safety-in-custody-statistics</a>.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 09/03/2015 14:46:34 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

224494

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Victim Personal Statements
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in what proportion of relevant cases were victim impact statements submitted to Crown courts in criminal proceedings in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
tabling member printed	Mr Elfyn Llwyd
uin	225895
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>We published a new Victims’ Code in December 2013 which sets out in plain language what support and information people should expect from the moment they report a crime to the end of a trial and beyond and who to demand help from if they are not receiving it. Significantly, for the first time it entitles victims and bereaved relatives to ask to read out their Victim Personal Statement (VPS) to the court before an offender is sentenced. This gives them the opportunity to explain in their own words how the crime has affected them and their family.</p><p> </p><p>HM Courts and Tribunals Service does not record information in relation to the number and proportion of cases in which victim personal statements are submitted in criminal proceedings. The Government has made a commitment to monitor criminal justice agencies’ compliance with the Victims’ Code and in Our Commitment to Victims, published on 15 September 2014, we announced that criminal justice agencies will publish information on how they have improved services for victims by April 2015.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 05/03/2015 17:41:50 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	549 label Biography information for Mr Elfyn Llwyd