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155536

registered interest
date	11/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Repairs and Maintenance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2014 to Question 209523, when he plans to write to the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South with the information promised in that answer.
tabling member constituency	Houghton and Sunderland South
tabling member printed	Bridget Phillipson
uin	214230
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text <p>Further to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Houghton and Sunderland South on 14 October 2014, we believe there are in excess of 100 courts that are over 100 years old and the data we hold is subject to detailed checks. These checks are being carried out and I will write again to the Hon. Member as soon as I am able to do so.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 18/11/2014 11:17:22 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	4046 label Biography information for Bridget Phillipson

155543

registered interest
date	11/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Interpreters
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many times a court case has been halted or postponed either (a) on the day of, (b) on the day before and (c) in the week before the case due to a failing of Capita to deliver its requirements under its interpreters' contract.
tabling member constituency	Hammersmith
tabling member printed	Mr Andy Slaughter
uin	214207
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The case management systems for the County Court and Family Court do not record reasons for adjournments/postponements.</p><p> </p><p>Data is not collected centrally by HMCTS showing the reasons for adjournments in every hearing in every court case. Different case management systems are used throughout Crown Courts, Magistrates Courts, Family Courts and County Courts to record different levels of data. The only way to enable the provision of a response to this question would be to manually check each case file from each court.</p><p> </p><p>The interpreting contract has delivered significant improvements since being introduced to tackle the inefficiencies and inconsistencies in the previous system. The provision of all language services is now available 24/7 with interpreters spending more time translating than ever before. We now have a quality service that is robust, sustainable and affordable, and we have spent £27m less in the first two years of the contract. We will continue to drive further improvements in performance to deliver value for the taxpayer.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 17/11/2014 16:49:52 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	1516 label Biography information for Andy Slaughter

155544

registered interest
date	11/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Magistrates' Courts
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many magistrates' courts (a) opened and (b) closed in each Local Criminal Justice Board area in each year since 2010.
tabling member constituency	Hammersmith
tabling member printed	Mr Andy Slaughter
uin	214208
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service holds information on magistrates’ courts which have opened and closed in each year since 2010, however, this needs to be cross referenced against Local Criminal Justice Board areas. HM Courts &amp; Tribunals Service is unable to collate and check this information within a short period of time.</p><p> </p><p>I will write to the honourable member in due course when the information is available.</p> answering member constituency North West Cambridgeshire answering member printed Mr Shailesh Vara question first answered 17/11/2014 17:02:21 answering member 1496 label Biography information for Shailesh Vara
tabling member	1516 label Biography information for Andy Slaughter

155551

registered interest
date	11/11/2014
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, pursuant to the Written Statement of 13 October 2014, Official Report, column 13WS, on Our Commitment to Victims, what steps he is taking to improve the experience of going to court for vulnerable victims.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	214334
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>In ‘Our Commitment to Victims’ the Government set out its plan for strengthening the protection for vulnerable victims by improving their experience at court. By March 2015 we will:</p><p>· devise a requirement that to be instructed in cases involving serious sexual offences, publicly-funded advocates must have undertaken approved specialist training on working with vulnerable victims and witnesses;</p><p>· give vulnerable witnesses greater opportunity to give evidence from a location away from court that better supports them to give their evidence, with at least one such location available in each court region;</p><p>· set out a programme for national roll-out of pre-trial cross-examination for child victims, subject to the evaluation of the pilots; and</p><p>· support the Director of Public Prosecutions’ consultation on providing better information and support to victims both before and at court so that they are better prepared for trials.</p><p> </p><p>And as we modernise the courts, we will ensure that victims’ needs are at the forefront of our plans.</p><p> </p><p>Taken together, these reforms will ensure that where victims give evidence, they can do so with in a less aggressive courtroom atmosphere, to reduce their anxiety.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 17/11/2014 17:20:32 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

155552

registered interest
date	11/11/2014
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, pursuant to the Written Statement of 13 October 2014, Official Report, column 13WS, on Our Commitment to Victims, when he plans to publish legislative proposals on guaranteeing victims' rights.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	214333
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>We will enshrine the rights of victims in law by putting the key entitlements of the Victims’ Code into primary legislation. This will put the highest emphasis on the needs of victims. We expect this new victims’ law to be introduced in the next Parliament.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning question first answered 17/11/2014 16:55:07 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

155553

registered interest
date	11/11/2014
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, pursuant to the Written Statement of 13 October 2014, Official Report, column 13WS, on Our Commitment to Victims, what estimate he has made of expenditure on the proposed Victims' Information Service in each of the next three years; and from which budget that expenditure is drawn.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	214335
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Victims’ Information Service, which will be launched by March 2015, will consist of a national information line and a website for victims to find information about the criminal justice system and support services, in one place, for the first time. It will also signpost victims to local and national support services and to the relevant criminal justice agency if they want to know about their case or make a complaint.</p><p> </p><p>By April 2016, the Victims’ Information Service will provide more support for victims by enabling them to submit complaints to the relevant agency; provide feedback about their experiences; and ensure that those who most need it receive more tailored personal assistance to guide them through the system. We will continue to develop the service, post 2016, based on user feedback, to make further improvements and ensure that it continues to meet the needs of victims.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently scoping the detail of what the Victims’ Information Service will offer in accordance with user need and the projected costs will be informed by this process and will ensure the solution developed offers value for money. We are making more money than ever before available for services to support victims of crime, with a potential total budget of up to £100m per year. The costs of the Victims’ Information Service will be met from this budget.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning grouped question UIN 214336 question first answered 17/11/2014 16:19:59 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

155554

registered interest
date	11/11/2014
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, pursuant to the Written Statement of 13 October 2014, Official Report, column 13WS, on Our Commitment to Victims, which services the proposed Victims' Information Service will provide.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	214336
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>The Victims’ Information Service, which will be launched by March 2015, will consist of a national information line and a website for victims to find information about the criminal justice system and support services, in one place, for the first time. It will also signpost victims to local and national support services and to the relevant criminal justice agency if they want to know about their case or make a complaint.</p><p> </p><p>By April 2016, the Victims’ Information Service will provide more support for victims by enabling them to submit complaints to the relevant agency; provide feedback about their experiences; and ensure that those who most need it receive more tailored personal assistance to guide them through the system. We will continue to develop the service, post 2016, based on user feedback, to make further improvements and ensure that it continues to meet the needs of victims.</p><p> </p><p>We are currently scoping the detail of what the Victims’ Information Service will offer in accordance with user need and the projected costs will be informed by this process and will ensure the solution developed offers value for money. We are making more money than ever before available for services to support victims of crime, with a potential total budget of up to £100m per year. The costs of the Victims’ Information Service will be met from this budget.</p> answering member constituency Hemel Hempstead answering member printed Mike Penning grouped question UIN 214335 question first answered 17/11/2014 16:19:59 answering member 1528 label Biography information for Sir Mike Penning
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

155633

registered interest
date	11/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Overcrowding
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on measures to reduce overcrowding in prisons.
tabling member constituency	North West Durham
tabling member printed	Pat Glass
uin	906028
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Justice Secretary regularly meets with Cabinet colleagues, including the Home Secretary, to discuss measures that impact on the prison population.</p><p> </p><p>We will always have enough prison places for those sent to prison by the courts, and they are operated in a way that gives taxpayers the best value for money. In 2013/14 crowding in prisons was at the lowest level for 10 years, and, by May 2015, this Government will provide more adult male prison places than it inherited from the previous administration.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 17/11/2014 17:50:39 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4103 label Biography information for Pat Glass

147487

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Youth Custody
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer by the Minister for Prisons, Probation and Rehabilitation of 4 November 2014, to Question 213435, how many former offenders have been allowed to visit secure childrens' homes in each year since May 2010.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	214109
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p /> <p>The Government believes reformed offenders can play a positive role in rehabilitating young and adult offenders through mentoring and demonstrating the possibility for change.</p><p> </p><p>Information is not held on the number of ex-offenders visiting the youth secure estate. Governors of Young Offender Institutions, Directors of Secure Training Centres and Managers of Secure Children’s Homes use their discretion to approve any visits to their individual establishments. Consideration will be given to the purpose of the visit, an assessment of the risk that the individual poses, and to wider responsibilities to ensure that young people are safeguarded at all times.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous grouped question UIN 214110 question first answered 17/11/2014 17:47:41 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

147614

registered interest
date	10/11/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Open Prisons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2014 to Question 212354, how many (a) indeterminate sentenced prisoners serving life sentences and (b) prisoners serving indeterminate sentences for public protection by category of offence were placed in open prisons in the most recent period for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Altrincham and Sale West
tabling member printed	Mr Graham Brady
uin	214069
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text <p>The first table below provides the number of prisoners located in an open prison serving a custodial sentence, by offence group. The second table provides the number of prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence located in open prison, by offence group.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Prisoners serving an immediate custodial sentence in open prisons<sup>(1)</sup> by specific offence, 30 September 2014, England and Wales</strong></p></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td><p><strong>30-Sep-14</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Violence against the person</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1,131</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Murder</p></td><td><p>323</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Manslaughter</p></td><td><p>62</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Homicide &amp; attempted</p></td><td><p>109</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Violence Against The Person</p></td><td><p>637</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Sexual offences</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>285</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Rape</p></td><td><p>159</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other Sexual offences</p></td><td><p>126</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Robbery</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>422</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p>All other offences</p></td><td><p>2,309</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>4,147</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="4"><p><strong>Prisoners serving an indeterminate sentence in open prisons<sup>(1)</sup> by offence group, 30 September 2014, England and Wales</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td><p>IPP</p></td><td><p>Life</p></td><td><p><strong>All</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Violence against the person</p></td><td><p>213</p></td><td><p>390</p></td><td><p>603</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sexual offences</p></td><td><p>125</p></td><td><p>83</p></td><td><p>208</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Robbery</p></td><td><p>103</p></td><td><p>16</p></td><td><p>119</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Burglary</p></td><td><p>12</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>17</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Theft and handling</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Fraud and forgery</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Drug offences</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Motoring offences</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>2</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Other offences</p></td><td><p>61</p></td><td><p>26</p></td><td><p>87</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Offence not recorded</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>1</p></td></tr><tr><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>All</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>515</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>523</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>1,038</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>(1) Only prisons that are predominantly open are included. Figures do not include category D prisoners held in non-predominant function open prisons nor those held in open sites that are part of multi-site establishments performing different functions nor those held in small (under 50 place) open units at predominant function closed prisons.</p><p> </p><p>These 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> </p><p>As previously explained, all prisoners located in open conditions have been subject to a rigorous assessment which has concluded that their risk is capable of being effectively managed in open conditions. Once allocated to an open prison, prisoners continue to be monitored and are returned to closed prison immediately if there are any concerns about their suitability for low security conditions.</p><p> </p><p>Placing a prisoner in open conditions serves two main purposes. Firstly, it facilitates the eventual resettlement of prisoners into the community, in conditions more similar to those that they will face in the community than closed conditions can provide. Secondly, it allows for risk to be assessed in order to inform release decisions and, should the prisoner secure release, to inform risk management plans for ongoing supervision in the community. For many prisoners, in particular those such as life sentence prisoners, who have spent a considerable amount of time in custody; these can be important components for successful reintegration in the community and therefore a mechanism to help protect the public.</p><p> </p><p>Keeping the public safe is our priority. That is why this Government took action on releases on temporary licence (ROTL) absconds from prison; prisoners are now no longer eligible for transfer to open conditions if they have previously escaped; absconded from open prisons; or if they have failed to return or reoffended whilst released on temporary licence, unless there are exceptional circumstances.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous grouped question UIN 214068 question first answered 17/11/2014 17:57:43 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
tabling member	435 label Biography information for Sir Graham Brady