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1202114

registered interest
date	09/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the risk of the restrictions in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic leading to a significant loss of income for legal aid firms, what assessment they have made of the impact of the Legal Aid Agency’s practice of (1) permitting only two claims a year for ongoing cases, and (2) only paying 75 per cent of such claims.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL5500
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2020 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice recently held a consultation on increasing the limits associated with claims for payment on account. This consultation closed on 16 June 2020.</p><p>Following this, the limit will be increased, allowing four such requests to be made in a twelve month period. This will be implemented once the necessary updates to infrastructure are completed, and the impact of this change will be kept under review.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 23/06/2020 16:40:53 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1202115

registered interest
date	09/06/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on legal aid firms of (1) the stay on possession proceedings for tenants until the end of August, and (2) any subsequent substantial loss of income; and what steps they are taking to ensure that such firms are paid for their work in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Procurement Policy Note 02/20: Supplier relief due to COVID-19, published on 20 March.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL5501
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/06/2020 answer text <p>MoJ is continuing to work closely with the Legal Aid Agency and HMCTS to assess the impact of Covid-19 on legal aid provision, and to support practitioners to work remotely when possible.</p><p>The Government have taken measures to support the sector include paying for virtual hearings in the same way as in-person hearings, halting pursuit of outstanding debts, relaxing some evidence requirements, and encouraging legal practitioners to use existing avenues of financial help, such as the ability to apply for early payment for work already done on a case. These measures will help Legal Aid providers adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.</p><p>PN 02/20, which has been updated in PPN 04/20, requires contracting authorities to determine whether a supplier is ‘at risk’. In making that determination, an authority will need to consider what steps have been taken by a public-sector provider to access other available support, because providers have no automatic entitlement to relief payments under the PPN and should not use them to supplement or duplicate the wider support measures that have been made available to UK businesses.</p><p>Data on legal aid expenditure on areas such as housing possession is released quarterly by the Legal Aid Agency, with the next release scheduled for September.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 23/06/2020 17:00:37 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1137103

registered interest
date	04/07/2019
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Marriage: Humanism
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will grant legal recognition to humanist marriages; and if not, what are the reasons for not doing so.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL16967
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>The Law Commission review that the Government announced last month is a fundamental review of the law on how and where people can legally marry in England and Wales. As part of that review, we have invited the Law Commission to make recommendations about how marriage by humanist and other non-religious belief organisations could be incorporated into a revised or new scheme for all marriages that is simple, fair and consistent. The Government will decide on provision on the basis of the Law Commission’s recommendations.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 10/07/2019 16:39:53 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

993837

registered interest
date	23/10/2018
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Race and Ethnicity Board
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Keen of Elie on 1 February (HL4903), what conclusions the Race and Ethnicity Board has reached on how best to engage the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL10970
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/11/2018 answer text <p>Following the publication of the Lammy Review last year, we are making efforts to explore and address specific disparities among the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities in the justice system, overseen by the Race and Ethnicity Board. Our ability to design and assess effective policies will be strengthened by engagement with representatives of GRT communities with direct experience of the justice system. To this end, we are establishing a dedicated stakeholder forum to inform, review and partner with on emerging work.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 02/11/2018 12:08:57 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

924196

registered interest
date	14/06/2018
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Sentencing: Females
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice is given to (1) judges and magistrates, and (2) those in judicial training, on alternatives to custodial sentencing for women who are given short sentences for non-violent offences, such as a requirement to attend women's community centres.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL8675
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2018 answer text <p>Sentencing is an independent judicial decision taken in each case based on the factors about the offence and offender available to the court, and the statutory framework laid down by Parliament. Judges and magistrates also take in to account relevant case law (notably there is detailed existing guidance on the sentencing of mothers i.e. Petherick [2012] EWCA Crim 2214) and any guidelines issued by the Sentencing Council, especially the guideline on imposition of community and custodial sentences.</p><p> </p><p>The Judicial College uses sentencing exercises to give judges the opportunity to discuss the weight to be given to all relevant factors and the correct approach in making a decision. Chapter 6 of the Equal Treatment Bench Book considers “Gender” and sets out some of the impact issues of imprisonment on women. The National Probation Service can advise Courts of the local options for community orders for women.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 28/06/2018 13:57:01 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

895229

registered interest
date	01/05/2018
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisoners: Travellers
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of Gypsy and Traveller prisoners undertake vocational training courses while in prison.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL7489
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/05/2018 answer text <p>Data on the proportion of Gypsy and Traveller prisoners that undertake vocational training courses whilst in English prisons is not held by the Ministry of Justice.</p><p>There is a wide range of vocational training available to prisoners. The prison governor is responsible for commissioning education and training based on the needs of learners in the prison establishment and the skills in demand by employers in the areas to which prisoners will be released.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 16/05/2018 16:55:08 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

825661

registered interest
date	18/01/2018
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Magistrates: Training
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what training, if any, magistrates receive on the culture and ethnicity of gypsies and travellers.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL4902
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2018 answer text <p>Magistrates’ training is delivered on a local basis through HMCTS and in line with the National Minimum Training Provision which is agreed with the Judicial College. The Judicial College provides training for judges in accordance with the Lord Chief Justice’s statutory responsibility.</p><p> </p><p>All magistrates take the judicial oath and the induction programme supports them to fulfil this. The College has not mandated any specific training for magistrates on the culture and ethnicity of Gypsies and Travellers, but it has published an Equal Treatment Bench Book which provides specific information about equality issues affecting Gypsies and Travellers and is available to all judges and magistrates.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 01/02/2018 13:34:04 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

825662

registered interest
date	18/01/2018
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Race and Ethnicity Board
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Keen of Elie on 19 December 2017 (HLWS365), who are the members of the Race and Ethnicity Board of Senior Officials; and how they plan for the Board to take account of discrimination against gypsy, traveller and Roma people.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL4903
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/02/2018 answer text <p>As part of the Government’s response to the Lammy Review, we have set up a Race and Ethnicity Board to monitor our progress on the recommendations, and the wider agenda of race disparity. The Board is chaired by the Ministry of Justice Director General for Offender Reform and Commissioning, Justin Russell. Membership of the Board includes senior level representation from departmental policy groups and operational agencies such as HM Prison and Probation Service and HM Courts and Tribunal Service. There is also representation at an appropriate grade from other relevant Government departments and organisations including the Parole Board, Welsh Government and the National Police Chiefs’ Council.</p><p>The scope of the Board is the same as the Lammy Review, therefore due consideration will be given to the issues experienced by the Gypsy, Traveller and Roma community. The Board has already met and is considering how best to engage the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community.</p> answering member printed Lord Keen of Elie question first answered 01/02/2018 13:35:03 answering member 4538 label Biography information for Lord Keen of Elie
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker