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1180218

registered interest
date	25/02/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Women's Centres: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What assessment he has made of the adequacy of funding for Women's Centres.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	900827
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2020 answer text <p>We are aware of the challenges that women’s community services, including women’s centres, face in securing stable funding. Sustainable community provision that provides specialist support for vulnerable women is essential to delivering the Female Offender Strategy.</p><p> </p><p>Since the publication of the Strategy in June 2018, we have invested £5.1 million funding in women’s services across England and Wales. With my officials, I am reviewing progress on delivering the Strategy 20 months on from its publication. This will include looking at the question of funding.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 25/02/2020 17:48:57 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1180219

registered interest
date	25/02/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Opinion
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps his Department is taking to ensure legal aid is accessible to people that need it.
tabling member constituency	Bracknell
tabling member printed	James Sunderland
uin	900828
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2020 answer text <p>Last year, the Legal Aid Agency spent around £1.7bn on legal aid for those who need it – this government is committed to maintaining access to justice. Wider than legal aid, we are enhancing the support on offer to litigants in person by providing a further £3m of funding and investing up to £5m in a Legal Support Innovation Fund.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, we are making a number of changes to legal aid. This includes undertaking a comprehensive review of the means test, improving and simplifying the exceptional case funding scheme, making face-to-face advice more readily available in a number of civil matters, and undertaking an awareness campaign for legal aid and legal support.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 25/02/2020 17:53:04 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4767 label Biography information for James Sunderland

1180220

registered interest
date	25/02/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Medomsley Detention Centre
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	If he will commission an independent inquiry into the physical and sexual abuse at Medomsley Detention Centre.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Richard Holden
uin	900829
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2020 answer text <p>This is a highly emotive issue and I understand how difficult it must be for the survivors of abuse and their families.</p><p> </p><p>These matters remain the subject of a criminal investigation and legal action in the civil courts. Therefore, it would be inappropriate at present to commission an inquiry.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 25/02/2020 17:50:05 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4813 label Biography information for Mr Richard Holden

1180221

registered interest
date	25/02/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prosecutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What assessment he has made of the effect of delays in the (a) charging and (b) requisitioning of suspects on the outcome of subsequent court cases.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Dr James Davies
uin	900832
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2020 answer text <p>The government has committed to recruiting 20,000 more police officers, investing £85 million in the CPS and doubled funding for support services to support victims of the most harmful crimes through the criminal justice process. I also welcome the announcement made by the Homes Secretary that the Government will review the use of pre-charge bail.</p><p> </p><p>We’re also working across the CJS to help agencies join up and make processes more effective and efficient.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 25/02/2020 17:57:53 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	4476 label Biography information for Dr James Davies

1180222

registered interest
date	25/02/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Offences against Children: Victims
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking to ensure that victims of child sexual exploitation have confidence in the criminal justice system.
tabling member constituency	Telford
tabling member printed	Lucy Allan
uin	900833
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2020 answer text <p>Child sexual exploitation is an abhorrent crime and it is essential that specialist support is available to help victims of abuse through the criminal justice system to ensure victims have confidence to come forward. Independent Sexual Violence Advisors provide an important link between support services and criminal justice agencies and may support a victim when attending court and giving evidence. This is why we are an investing an additional £1m in recruiting more.</p><p> </p><p>There are a range of special measures to help victims give their best evidence, for example from behind a screen or remotely. A Victim Personal Statement gives victims a voice in the criminal justice process by helping others to understand how the crime has affected them.</p><p> </p><p>We’re also determined to ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice, which is why we’re recruiting 20,000 more police officers, investing £85m in more prosecutors and building 10,000 extra prison places.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 25/02/2020 17:53:55 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4411 label Biography information for Lucy Allan

1180223

registered interest
date	25/02/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Child Maintenance Service: Appeals
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What assessment he has made of trends in waiting times for Child Maintenance Service appeals.
tabling member constituency	Newport East
tabling member printed	Jessica Morden
uin	900835
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2020 answer text <p>I accept that waiting times for Child Maintenance Service appeals remain higher than we would like. I am pleased to say that we are working on measures to help reduce waiting times for those appealing to the Social Security and Child Support jurisdiction.</p><p> </p><p>We have recruited three more judges who will be able to hear Child Maintenance appeals in Wales, two of which will be available to sit at the Langstone tribunal venue in Newport. Furthermore, we are spending £1.2 billion on modernising the courts and tribunals system with a view to improving the experience of service users. 129 fee paid judges have been recruited to the SSCS jurisdiction in 2019, which will also greatly assist.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 25/02/2020 18:00:17 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
tabling member	1548 label Biography information for Jessica Morden

1179805

registered interest
date	24/02/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Family Conciliation Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to increase legal aid pay rates for family mediation services.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	19946
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2020 answer text <p>Legal aid remains available for mediation in certain family disputes, where the parties meet the eligibility criteria. The latest published Legal Aid Statistics show that in family mediation, Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAMs) assessments increased by 20% in the last quarter compared to the same quarter in the previous year.</p><p> </p><p>In the Legal Support Action Plan, we committed to launching a campaign to raise awareness of the full breadth of legal support available, including legal aid.</p><p> </p><p>We work closely with the Family Mediation Council, and support Family Mediation through regular signposting and communications. We also attend the Family Mediation Council Standards Board which helps set the standards for mediators to ensure individuals get a quality service. We recently highlighted Family Mediation Week in January 2020 through social media channels.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 19947 question first answered 27/02/2020 14:11:27 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1179806

registered interest
date	24/02/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Family Conciliation Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to support small family mediation businesses.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	19947
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2020 answer text <p>Legal aid remains available for mediation in certain family disputes, where the parties meet the eligibility criteria. The latest published Legal Aid Statistics show that in family mediation, Mediation Information and Assessment Meetings (MIAMs) assessments increased by 20% in the last quarter compared to the same quarter in the previous year.</p><p> </p><p>In the Legal Support Action Plan, we committed to launching a campaign to raise awareness of the full breadth of legal support available, including legal aid.</p><p> </p><p>We work closely with the Family Mediation Council, and support Family Mediation through regular signposting and communications. We also attend the Family Mediation Council Standards Board which helps set the standards for mediators to ensure individuals get a quality service. We recently highlighted Family Mediation Week in January 2020 through social media channels.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk grouped question UIN 19946 question first answered 27/02/2020 14:11:27 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

1180004

registered interest
date	24/02/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Legal Representation: Death
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department plans to support access to non-means tested legal representation in cases of state-related death.
tabling member constituency	North Durham
tabling member printed	Mr Kevan Jones
uin	19769
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/02/2020 answer text <p>The Government’s Review of Legal Aid for Inquests published on 7 February 2019 found that representation for bereaved families is not necessary at the vast majority of inquests because the process is designed to establish the truth and learn lessons and cannot apportion blame.</p><p> </p><p>The Government realises, however, that there may be some instances where legal representation is required at inquests and funding may be available through the Exceptional Case Funding scheme (ECF). The decision to provide funding under ECF is taken by the Legal Aid Agency which makes its decisions independently from political and Government influence. The Government’s Legal Support Action Plan published on 7 February 2019 following the post implementation review of LASPO, includes a commitment to simplify the ECF scheme to ensure it works as effectively as possible for those who need it. We’re also making changes to ensure there is more support for bereaved families including making improvements to guidance and advice literature to improve understanding and awareness of the availability of legal aid for inquests.</p><p> </p><p>The evidence that we gathered as part of our Review for Legal Aid for Inquests will also be considered as part of the Legal Aid Means Test Review, which is looking at the thresholds for legal aid entitlement and their interaction with the wider criteria. This comprehensive review is due to conclude in the summer of 2020, followed by a public consultation on potential policy changes.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 27/02/2020 14:50:55 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	1438 label Biography information for Mr Kevan Jones

1180013

registered interest
date	24/02/2020
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prison Officers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what support is his Department provides to prison officers who have been a victim of crime at work.
tabling member constituency	Rutland and Melton
tabling member printed	Alicia Kearns
uin	19993
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2020 answer text <p>Prison Officers are some of our finest public servants, and we do not underestimate the challenges faced by everyone working in prisons. We are committed to making prisons a safe place to work and providing prison officers with the right support, training and tools to empower them to do their jobs.</p><p> </p><p>We provide post-incident care teams, occupational health support and counselling for members of staff who are assaulted while doing their job and we are currently rolling out TRiM (Trauma Risk Management), a trauma-focused peer support system designed to help people who have experienced a traumatic event.</p><p> </p><p>We are rolling out body worn cameras, police-style restraints and PAVA incapacitant spray to prison officers to help them do their job more safely.</p><p> </p><p>We have recruited more than 4,200 new prison officers over the past four years and we’re investing £2.75 billion to transform the estate, to make prisons safer and cut crime behind bars.</p><p> </p><p>Prisoners who assault staff should feel the full force of the law. We are working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure prosecutions of prisoners who assault staff along with the strongest possible punishment being imposed. The Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act increases sentences for those who assault prison officers.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 28/02/2020 14:43:15 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
tabling member	4805 label Biography information for Alicia Kearns