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63096

registered interest
date	23/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Probation
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lords Faulks on 18 June (WA 71), how much of the 2014–15 probation budget has been allocated to the provision of services to support the new operating model.
tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
uin	HL505
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2014 answer text <p>The probation service, under the new operating model from 1 June, continues to operate in line with the agreed probation service budget. This budget includes provision for corporate services, information technology, estates and community payback, which continue to be provided centrally, as they were up to 31 May.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 07/07/2014 16:54:12 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

63099

registered interest
date	23/06/2014
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government in how many cases the Legal Aid Agency granted funding for legal representation (full legal aid certificates) in the discrimination category in each of the years (1) 2011–12, (2) 2012–13, and (3) 2013–14.
tabling member printed	Lord Lester of Herne Hill
uin	HL508
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2014 answer text <p>Discrimination only became an extant category of law covered by the Civil Legal Aid Mandatory Gateway following the introduction of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. As such, the only figures available relate to the financial year 2013/14 when 4 certificates for legal representation funding were granted. However, discrimination cases may not always be captured in this record as an alleged contravention of the Equality Act can be recorded in other categories of law, for example, mental health.</p><p> </p><p>The Legal Aid Agency routinely publishes legal aid statistics; this information can be found using the link below:</p><p><a title="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/legal-aid-statistics-april-2013-to-march-2014" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/legal-aid-statistics-april-2013-to-march-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/legal-aid-statistics-april-2013-to-march-2014</a></p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 07/07/2014 16:51:41 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	2037 label Biography information for Lord Lester of Herne Hill

63332

registered interest
date	23/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Mediation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is towards funding the Help with Family Mediation scheme.
tabling member constituency	Exeter
tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
uin	201797
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>There has been a significant decrease in referrals to publicly funded family mediation since April 2013 when the legal aid reforms were implemented. This is in part due to fewer people visiting solicitors who previously would have directed clients to mediation.</p><p> </p><p>Before April 2013, attendance at a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM) was a pre-requisite for legal representation for people eligible to obtain public funding. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act. This placed a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM for the purpose of considering mediation, before being permitted to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).</p><p> </p><p>Legal aid remains available for mediation (and for legal help with mediation) for those who meet the eligibility criteria. We are keen to encourage mediation as an alternative to court both for those eligible for public funding and for privately funded cases.</p><p> </p><p>We are aware that a small number of mediation services have closed or are in difficulty. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is constantly monitoring the situation to make sure there is sufficient provision for client access to mediation services. While a decline in demand is a contributory factor in mediation service closures, another significant factor is poor and unsustainable business models. There is some evidence that a number of the mediation services which have closed following legal aid reforms were vulnerable to closure before the reforms took effect.</p><p> </p><p>I have convened a Family Mediation Task Force, chaired by David Norgrove, which has considered many of the issues raised by the Member of Parliament for Exeter, including how to reverse the fall in referrals and engage the second party in the mediation process, and incentivising mediators and lawyers to work in partnership to support clients through the resolution of their dispute in compliance with the new legislation. A number of short-term financial options have been considered as well as the long term view for the future of dispute resolution services.</p><p> </p><p>The Taskforce report will be published imminently. The Government will respond to the report in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201782 201786 201790 201799 201800 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:26:36 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63333

registered interest
date	23/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Mediation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been spent on legally aided family mediation in each of the last four years for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Exeter
tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
uin	201796
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>Statistics on the volume and value of family mediation funded through legal aid are contained within legal aid statistics: April 2013 to March 2014 (www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/322466/legal-aid-statistics-2013-14.pdf ). Tables 7.1 and 7.2 contain family mediation data between 2006-07 and 2013-14.</p><p> </p><p>An extract of the legal aid spend on family mediation is included in the table below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>MIAMS</p><p>Volumes</p></td><td><p>MIAMS expenditure</p></td><td><p>Mediations</p><p>Starts</p></td><td><p>Mediations</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>26,388</p></td><td><p>£6,276,568</p></td><td><p>14,186</p></td><td><p>£6,997,924</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>31,338</p></td><td><p>£7,796,253</p></td><td><p>15,357</p></td><td><p>£6,917,892</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>30,662</p></td><td><p>£8,053,106</p></td><td><p>13,609</p></td><td><p>£6,307,518</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>13,354</p></td><td><p>£3,182,662</p></td><td><p>8,400</p></td><td><p>£4,291,680</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The large drop off in 2013-14 was due to removal of mandatory MIAM for onward legal aid funding, which meant that solicitors were no longer referring to mediation. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act which places a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM before being able to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).</p><p> </p><p>It is too early to say what impact the introduction of statutory MIAMs has had on referral numbers but anecdotally we have heard from mediators and the judiciary that referrals are increasing and the message is getting through to the public.</p><p> </p><p>Family mediation is not regulated by this Department but legal aid remains available for mediation for those who meet the eligibility criteria.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201798 question first answered 26/06/2014 15:57:11 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63334

registered interest
date	23/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Homicide: Victim Support Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of peer support groups supporting victims bereaved by homicide in each year since May 2010.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	201875
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>Since 2011 the Ministry of Justice has funded a number of peer support groups to provide support to families bereaved by homicide. In the 2013/14 financial year the Ministry of Justice is supporting 13 peer support groups. From October 2014, the new national Homicide Service will incorporate peer support for those bereaved since the current service became operational in 2010. In addition, the Ministry of Justice has confirmed that it will continue to fund the 13 peer support groups until October 2015 and will work with these groups and others to develop funding arrangements from October 2015 onwards.</p> answering member constituency Ashford answering member printed Damian Green question first answered 26/06/2014 12:56:32 answering member 76 label Biography information for Damian Green
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

63335

registered interest
date	23/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Homicide: 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 bereaved by homicide have received support from the National Homicide Service in England and Wales since May 2010.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	201874
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>Victim Support, who run the national Homicide Service, report that since the Service became operational on 1 March 2010 until 24 June 2014, it has provided support to 5,687 victims bereaved by homicide.</p> answering member constituency Ashford answering member printed Damian Green question first answered 26/06/2014 12:54:57 answering member 76 label Biography information for Damian Green
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

63336

registered interest
date	23/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Mediation
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 ensure that family mediation fees remain affordable.
tabling member constituency	Exeter
tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
uin	201798
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>Statistics on the volume and value of family mediation funded through legal aid are contained within legal aid statistics: April 2013 to March 2014 (www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/322466/legal-aid-statistics-2013-14.pdf ). Tables 7.1 and 7.2 contain family mediation data between 2006-07 and 2013-14.</p><p> </p><p>An extract of the legal aid spend on family mediation is included in the table below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>MIAMS</p><p>Volumes</p></td><td><p>MIAMS expenditure</p></td><td><p>Mediations</p><p>Starts</p></td><td><p>Mediations</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>26,388</p></td><td><p>£6,276,568</p></td><td><p>14,186</p></td><td><p>£6,997,924</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>31,338</p></td><td><p>£7,796,253</p></td><td><p>15,357</p></td><td><p>£6,917,892</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>30,662</p></td><td><p>£8,053,106</p></td><td><p>13,609</p></td><td><p>£6,307,518</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>13,354</p></td><td><p>£3,182,662</p></td><td><p>8,400</p></td><td><p>£4,291,680</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The large drop off in 2013-14 was due to removal of mandatory MIAM for onward legal aid funding, which meant that solicitors were no longer referring to mediation. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act which places a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM before being able to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).</p><p> </p><p>It is too early to say what impact the introduction of statutory MIAMs has had on referral numbers but anecdotally we have heard from mediators and the judiciary that referrals are increasing and the message is getting through to the public.</p><p> </p><p>Family mediation is not regulated by this Department but legal aid remains available for mediation for those who meet the eligibility criteria.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201796 question first answered 26/06/2014 15:57:11 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63337

registered interest
date	23/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Erlestoke Prison
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many hours per week prisoners in HMP Erlestoke spent (a) in cells and (b) working in each of the last three years; and what proportion of such prisoners were classed as unemployed on the last date for which data is available.
tabling member constituency	Walsall South
tabling member printed	Valerie Vaz
uin	201896
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>Up until the end of 2011-12 information was collected on the average hours per weekday that prisoners were unlocked. By subtracting the average hours unlocked from the 24 hours in a day it is possible to estimate hours spent locked in cell. Figures for each prison establishment for the three years from 2009-10 to 2011-12 have been placed in the library of the House.</p><p> </p><p>It should be noted that time in cell includes hours when prisoners are asleep. Time unlocked includes time where a prisoner is either out of their cell or where the cell door is unlocked allowing them to move freely in and out of the cell.Figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.</p><p><ins> </ins></p><p><ins>Time unlocked was discontinued as a performance indicator for prisons at the end of 2011-12</ins><ins> because i</ins><ins>t was not used in the day-to-day management of prisons and NOMS had concerns over the burden on the frontline of collecting </ins><ins>the data.</ins><ins> </ins><ins>Indicators introduced into prison SLAs in respect of rehabilitation, resettlement and work in prisons provide a better demonstration of efforts to prepare prisoners for release and reduce reoffending.</ins> Figures for time in cell for the years 2012-13 and 2013-14 could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Work in prisons is a key priority to ensure prisoners are engaged purposefully whilst they are in custody. It also gives them the opportunity to learn skills and a work ethic which can increase their chances of finding employment on release, a key element to reducing reoffending.</p><p> </p><p>The number of prisoners working in industrial activity across public sector prisons increased from around 8,600 in 2010-11 (the first year for which figures are available) to around 9,700 in 2012-13. This delivered an increase in the total hours worked in industrial activities from 10.6 million hours to 13.1 million hours. Private sector prisons have also been supporting this agenda and have reported that they delivered over 1½ million prisoner working hours in commercial and industrial workshops in 2012-13 which provided work for over 1,200 prisoners. In addition there are substantial numbers of prisoners who work to keep prisons running on tasks such as cooking, serving meals, maintenance and cleaning.</p><p> </p><p>Figures for public sector prisons are published in the NOMS Annual Report Management Information Addendum: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/225225/mi-addendum.pdf</a></p><p> </p><p>The establishment-level breakdown of weekly hours worked is not available centrally for 2011-12 and 2012-13 and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Our reforms to the Incentives and Earned Privileges national policy framework came into effect in adult prisons on 1 November 2013. Prisoners will be expected to engage in purposeful activity, as well as demonstrate a commitment towards their rehabilitation, reduce their risk of reoffending, behave well and help others if they are to earn privileges.</p><p> </p><p>Information on the proportion of prisoners classed as unemployed is not available centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright grouped question UIN 201814 201815 201816 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:44:35 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
tabling member	4076 label Biography information for Valerie Vaz

63339

registered interest
date	23/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Family Law
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the recent increase in the number of parties representing themselves in court in private family law cases.
tabling member constituency	Exeter
tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
uin	201855
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>Litigants in person have always been a feature of the justice system. Data on disposals in the financial year prior to April 2013 indicate that in 64% of privatefamilylaw cases there was at least one party without recorded legal representation.</p><p> </p><p>We are closely monitoring the performance of the family justice system. The number of family cases where one or more parties present themselves is published in Courts Statistics Quarterly (www.gov.uk/government/collections/court-statistics-quarterly).</p><p> </p><p>Judges are trained to help people with no legal representation and are accustomed to doing so, including by explaining procedures and what is expected of the parties. We have taken steps to help people who either want to represent themselves in court or have to do so, which include publishing a revised guide for separating parents and more training for judges. The link to the guide is:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/HMCTS/GetLeaflet.do?court_leaflets_id=2756" target="_blank">http://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/HMCTS/GetLeaflet.do?court_leaflets_id=2756</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201801 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:16:44 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63340

registered interest
date	23/06/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Mediation
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 inform the public of the benefits of mediation.
tabling member constituency	Exeter
tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
uin	201794
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>We are delivering a wide-ranging programme of activity to improve public awareness and to make sure that advice agencies are providing the correct information about family mediation. This includes being very clear that legal aid is still available for mediation, and for legal support for mediation.</p><p> </p><p>We have taken action to update and improve information on our own websites and Gov.UK and we have included an article about mediation in the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) newsletter - aimed at advisors - to clarify that legal aid does remain available for mediation.</p><p> </p><p>We have also written to the mediation profession setting out some of the work we are doing and we continue to work very closely with the Family Mediation Council (FMC) to raise the profile of the court and that of the profession. This has principally included funding and working with the FMC to develop an improved website which can be used as a public signpost to mediation and information services, and developing a marketing ‘toolkit' to support mediators in promoting their services to prospective clients.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201795 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:02:06 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw