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431903

registered interest
date	23/11/2015
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Domestic Abuse and Rape: Convictions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what recent steps the Crown Prosecution Service has taken to improve the conviction rate for rape and domestic violence.
tabling member constituency	Swansea East
tabling member printed	Carolyn Harris
uin	902353
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2015 answer text <p>The CPS has taken a number of steps to improve the conviction rate for rape and domestic violence cases. These include refocusing resources to strengthen Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Units, extensive training on rape for prosecutors, an update of the domestic abuse legal guidance and closer working with the police in rape cases including the provision of early investigative advice.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 26/11/2015 10:52:58 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	4480 label Biography information for Carolyn Harris

432469

registered interest
date	23/11/2015
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Military Intervention: Syria
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister on the information provided to Parliament on the legal basis for supporting coalition air strikes in Syria.
tabling member constituency	Wythenshawe and Sale East
tabling member printed	Mike Kane
uin	902357
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2015 answer text <p>I refer the Hon Member to the oral answer I gave to the Hon Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Alan Brown) earlier today.</p><br /> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright question first answered 26/11/2015 11:38:54 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
tabling member	4316 label Biography information for Mike Kane

432470

registered interest
date	23/11/2015
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Legal Profession: Voluntary Work
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps he has taken to promote pro bono work amongst members of the legal profession in the last 12 months.
tabling member constituency	Congleton
tabling member printed	Fiona Bruce
uin	902355
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/11/2015 answer text <p>The Attorney General and I chair two co-ordinating committees that bring together leading organisations dedicated to promoting the delivery of pro bono legal services by members of the legal profession, in conjunction with the voluntary sector in England and Wales and internationally.</p><p>Earlier this month, we took part in a range of events during National Pro Bono week, which is now regarded as an important annual national event and is supported by the legal professions, voluntary sector and law schools.</p><p>Over the past 12 months, we have supported a number of projects borne out of the co-ordinating committees, that we believe reinforce how important the pro bono movement is – not just domestically, but internationally as well.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 26/11/2015 11:30:22 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	3958 label Biography information for Fiona Bruce

428969

registered interest
date	18/11/2015
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Witnesses
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps the CPS has recently taken to improve its support for (a) child witnesses and (b) people with learning disabilities who give evidence in criminal proceedings.
tabling member constituency	Crawley
tabling member printed	Henry Smith
uin	16813
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is committed to improving the ‘at court’ experience for all witnesses. The CPS works closely with the police and the voluntary sector to ensure that vulnerable witnesses such as children and people with learning disabilities are well supported through the Criminal Justice System.</p><p>Special measures such as the use of intermediaries, using screens at court and video live links help vulnerable witnesses, including children and people with learning difficulties, to give their best evidence. Recently, the CPS assisted the MoJ in recruiting an additional 105 intermediaries, who play a vital role in facilitating coherent conversations during police interviews and at court. The use of pre-recorded cross-examination has also been successfully piloted and the Lord Chancellor has committed publically to a national roll-out.</p><p>In September, following public consultation, the Director of Public Prosecutions announced the launch of new guidance for prosecutors entitled ‘Speaking to Witnesses at Court’. The aim of this guidance is to set out the role played by prosecutors at or before court in ensuring that witnesses give their best evidence. This will benefit all prosecution witnesses and will help them understand what to expect. These enhanced arrangements will be piloted over the coming months and will be rolled out nationally during 2016.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 23/11/2015 14:27:50 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

428970

registered interest
date	18/11/2015
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Evidence
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the use of hearsay evidence in court proceedings in reducing the number of unsuccessful cases due to victim or witness issues; and what estimate he has made of the number of cases where hearsay evidence has been used by prosecutors in each year since 2010-11.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne North
tabling member printed	Catherine McKinnell
uin	16836
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecutors will apply to admit hearsay evidence where they consider it appropriate to do so and the legislation permits. However, the CPS does not record information on the number of cases where hearsay evidence has been used in the course of criminal proceedings. It follows, therefore, that no assessment of the effectiveness of the use of hearsay evidence in court proceedings in reducing the number of unsuccessful cases due to victim or witness issues is routinely conducted. answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 23/11/2015 09:36:38 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell

428971

registered interest
date	18/11/2015
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Minimum Wage: Prosecutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many cases of suspected non-compliance with minimum wage legislation were referred to the CPS in each of the last five years; and how many such referrals led to a prosecution in each of those years.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	16852
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text <p>Data held centrally by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), together with information provided by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which has responsibility for enforcing the law in relation to the National Minimum Wage (NMW), shows that there were three cases which were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service by HMRC in the financial year 2010 – 2011, of which two resulted in prosecution. No referrals were made in the financial years 2011 – 2012 and 2012 – 2013. No cases were referred to the Crown Prosecution Service by HMRC in 2013 – 2014 and two cases were referred in 2014 – 2015, of which one resulted in prosecution. One case has been referred in this financial year (2015-2016), which is currently under consideration.</p><p>The majority of employers identified as paying below the National Minimum Wage pay arrears on receipt of a formal Notice of Underpayment. Where they do not do so, HMRC pursues recovery through the civil courts. For deliberate non-compliance or obstructive behaviour HMRC operates a policy of selective and exemplary criminal investigation action as part of a wider enforcement strategy.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 23/11/2015 13:42:29 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

428972

registered interest
date	18/11/2015
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Minimum Wage: Prosecutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many employers were (a) charged with and (b) convicted of a criminal offence by the Crown Prosecution Service for non-compliance with minimum wage legislation in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	16870
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2015 answer text <p>Data held centrally by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), together with information provided by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), which has responsibility for enforcing the law in relation to the National Minimum Wage (NMW), shows that in the financial year 2010 – 2011, no employers were charged with a criminal offence for non-compliance with minimum wage legislation but one employer was convicted from an earlier charge. One charge was made in the financial year 2011 – 2012 and one conviction was made in 2012 – 2013. No cases were charged or convicted in 2013 – 2014 and one case was charged in 2014 – 2015.</p><br /><p>The majority of employers identified as paying below the National Minimum Wage pay arrears on receipt of a formal Notice of Underpayment. Where they do not do so, HMRC pursues recovery through the civil courts. For deliberate non-compliance or obstructive behaviour HMRC operates a policy of selective and exemplary criminal investigation action as part of a wider enforcement strategy.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 24/11/2015 11:49:14 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

428973

registered interest
date	18/11/2015
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Minimum Wage: Prosecutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many Crown Prosecution Service staff worked on (a) referrals for suspected non-compliance with minimum wage legislation and (b) prosecutions for non-compliance with minimum wage legislation in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	16871
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/11/2015 answer text <p>All cases referred to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for the purposes of considering a prosecution for an offence contrary to national minimum wage legislation, are dealt with by the Specialist Fraud Division. The number of people dealing with such cases at any given time depends on the number of cases received and how they are allocated.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 24/11/2015 11:50:08 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

429106

registered interest
date	18/11/2015
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Sexual Offences: Prosecutions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, whether he plans to change the arrangements or level of funding for specialist rape and sexual offence prosecutors; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Riverside
tabling member printed	Mrs Louise Ellman
uin	16908
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text <p>Any consideration of future funding proposals would form part of the Spending Review which will be announced in due course.</p><p>However, the CPS has been refocusing its existing resources to support Rape and Serious Sexual Offence (RASSO) units, including through a recruitment exercise to increase the size of the units and an extensive training programme to further support staff within them. The CPS is also working closely with the police through a high-level RASSO Steering Group to further ensure the consistent application of policies, including in relation to the seeking and provision of early investigative advice.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 23/11/2015 13:37:49 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	484 label Biography information for Dame Louise Ellman

427434

registered interest
date	10/11/2015
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Crown Prosecution Service: Costs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 22 October 2015 to Question 12365, what savings have resulted from the police-led prosecution initiative in each year since 2012-13.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne North
tabling member printed	Catherine McKinnell
uin	15710
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2015 answer text <p>The police-led prosecution initiative has led to a significant reduction in motoring offences prosecuted by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in magistrate courts, as the following figures indicate:</p><p>Motoring offence cases finalised in the Magistrates Court</p><p>2012-13: 229,875</p><p>2013-14: 171,517</p><p>2014-15: 112,955</p><br /><p>While the reduction has led to a fall in expenditure on these low-level cases, the overall effect on CPS budgets has been cost-neutral. A high proportion of these cases are dealt with as summary first-time guilty pleas, in which the Court requires the defendant to pay the prosecution costs as part of any financial penalty. Therefore, whilst the CPS has benefitted from a reduction in expenditure, it has foregone the receipt of cost awards that are routinely made in motoring offence cases, as these awards are now payable to the police.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 19/11/2015 10:58:40 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
tabling member	4125 label Biography information for Catherine McKinnell