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1130962

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Family Courts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many (a) public and (b) private law cases were referred to the Family Courts in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	262428
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <p>Statistics for the number of public and private Law case applications referred to the family courts in the each of the last five years is published in the Family Court Statistics Quarterly, and is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-court-statistics-quarterly-october-to-december-2018</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 18/06/2019 09:44:52 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1130963

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Family Courts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many private law cases were referred to the Family Courts in which (a) both, (b) one and (c) neither parent or carer were represented by a solicitor in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	262429
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2019 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td><p>The number of unrepresented parties in private law Children Act case starts are shown in the table below: <table><tbody><tr><td colspan="7"><p><strong>Table 1:</strong> Annual number of private law cases starting in Family Courts in England and Wales from 2014 to 2018 in which both, one or neither party had legal representation</p></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Total number of cases started</strong></p></td><td colspan="3"><p><strong>Parties with legal representation</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Both applicant and respondent</p></td><td><p>Either applicant or respondent</p></td><td><p>Neither applicant nor respondent</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2014</p></td><td><p><strong> 42,114 </strong></p></td><td><p>7,424</p></td><td><p>18,630</p></td><td><p>16,060</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p><strong> 43,347 </strong></p></td><td><p>7,654</p></td><td><p>18,500</p></td><td><p>17,193</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p><strong> 48,246 </strong></p></td><td><p>8,262</p></td><td><p>20,048</p></td><td><p>19,936</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p><strong> 50,652 </strong></p></td><td><p>8,303</p></td><td><p>20,497</p></td><td><p>21,852</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p><strong> 51,672 </strong></p></td><td><p>8,561</p></td><td><p>20,346</p></td><td><p>22,765</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Notes:</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><p>1) An applicant party is considered 'represented' if at least one applicant has a recorded representative. Likewise for respondents.</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><p>2) Parties in private law cases are usually the parents or people with parental responsibility for the child/children involved. Others, including grandparents and carers, can apply after gaining permission from the court.</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="7"><p>3) Private law adoptions are not included</p></td></tr></tbody></table>Since 2015, we have invested almost £6.5million in a support strategy for unrepresented parties. This provides practical support and information as well as routes to free or more affordable legal advice. Public funding remains available for parents in public law Children Act proceedings where a local authority seeks an order to place a child in care or under its supervision, and in private law Children Act cases where there is evidence of domestic or child abuse.<table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table></p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 18/06/2019 16:30:36 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1133231

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Civil Proceedings
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he has any plans to consult on the possibility of a statutory definition for vexatious applications in the court system in England and Wales.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	266754
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/06/2019 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice has no plans to consult on the possibility of a statutory definition for vexatious applications. It is unacceptable for someone to use court processes to harass or abuse a former partner.</p><p>The Divisional Court currently rules on whether an application is vexatious and this judicial decision is made on a case by case basis given the restriction to access to justice of the applicant if found to be vexatious.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 27/06/2019 12:09:21 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1133236

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Courts: Buildings
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many complaints his Department has received from witnesses and victims on a failure to provide separate entrances and waiting areas in courts in England and Wales in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	266759
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>Over the past three years, the number of complaints recorded about courts in England and Wales not having separate entrances and waiting areas for witnesses and victims is as follows:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Financial year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number recorded</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018/19</p></td><td><p>9</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017/18</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016/17</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Our Victims Strategy, published last year, commits to improving court environments with new victim-friendly waiting areas and an emphasis on accessibility for the most vulnerable.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 28/06/2019 09:44:49 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1134607

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Enforcement
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what level of charges Approved Enforcement Agencies may add to original financial penalties imposed by criminal courts, and whether his Department has plans to change that level.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	269100
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>The level of fees that an Enforcement agent may levy is set out in The Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, SI 2014 No1</p><p> </p><p><strong>Compliance Stage - £75.00</strong></p><p>The Compliance fee is levied for correspondence to the Debtor from the Approved Enforcement Agency. The amount levied does not change dependent on amount owed and is only payable once.</p><p><strong>Enforcement Fee - £235.00</strong></p><p>This fee is levied for a visit to the Debtor following on from the compliance process and is also only payable once. An additional 7.5% of the value of the debt is payable in cases where the original debt exceeds £1,500</p><p><strong>Sale or Disposal Fee - £110.00</strong></p><p>This fee is levied for the sale or disposal of goods if the original debt is not settled in full or if a proposal for a repayment plan is not offered. This fee is also only payable once. An additional 7.5% of the value of the debt is payable in cases where the original debt exceeds £1,500.</p><p> </p><p>Approved Enforcement Agencies can also charge for the reasonable cost of storing goods, hiring a locksmith, court fees, auction costs, exceptional costs. These charges only apply to actual cost.</p><p> </p><p>There are no plans to change the level of fees, which are set out in secondary legislation, at the current time.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 01/07/2019 16:14:17 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1134608

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Enforcement
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the level of charges added by Approved Enforcement Agencies to the original financial penalties imposed by criminal courts in each of the last four quarters.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	269101
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2019 answer text <p>Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) does not collate this information at a quarterly level. Data received from Approved Enforcement Agencies indicates that they recovered £28,169,343.39 in fees from Warrants of Control over the period 1<sup>st</sup> April 2018 – 31<sup>st</sup> March 2019. The fee, which varies for different processes is paid by the debtor direct to the AEA on top of their original fine.</p><p> </p><p>The level of fees that an Enforcement agent may levy are set out in The Taking Control of Goods (Fees) Regulations 2014, SI 2014 No1 to ensure transparency and consistency.</p><p> </p><p>We take the recovery and enforcement of court fines very seriously. Courts already have the power to issue warrants through enforcement agencies, and we have robust processes in place to ensure enforcement agents comply to the same standards as HMCTS staff.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 01/07/2019 16:53:06 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1134609

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	HM Courts and Tribunals Service: Enforcement
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the expected savings to the public purse through service contracts with Approved Enforcement Agencies.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	269102
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>It is estimated that re-procurement of service contracts with Approved Enforcement Agencies (AEAs) has the potential to deliver resource savings of £25m over the initial term of the contract (5 years), every penny of which will be reinvested into the justice system. Current AEAs contracts include provision for the enforcement of Warrants of Control and Warrants of Arrest; the new service contracts will also include provision for Warrants of Arrest currently undertaken by civilian enforcement officers.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 02/07/2019 16:25:18 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1134611

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	European Arrest Warrants: Procurement
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate his Department has made of the expected savings to the public purse of outsourcing warrants of arrest work to Approved Enforcement Agencies.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	269142
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>It is estimated that the contracting out of all Warrant of Arrest work to Approved Enforcement Agencies (AEAs) has the potential to deliver savings in resource of over £25m over the initial term of the contract (5 years). This includes Warrants of Arrest currently undertaken by Civilian Enforcement Officers as well as Warrants of Arrest already undertaken by AEAs.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 02/07/2019 16:28:04 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1134612

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	European Arrest Warrants: Procurement
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much Approved Enforcement Agencies will be paid for carrying out warrants of arrest work on behalf of his Department.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	269143
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>Under the current Approved Enforcement Agencies (AEA) contracts the AEA’s are paid £75 for successfully executed Warrants of Arrest. We are in the process of procuring a new set of contracts for AEA services and the Invitation to Tender was released on 1 July 2019. The pricing for Warrant of Arrest services shall be established by this procurement exercise. The price for Warrants of Arrest Services forms part of the evaluation process, through which value for money will be determined. We plan to award contracts in December 2019, with services to commence in May 2020.</p><p> </p><p>We expect these new contracts will save the taxpayer more than £25m over the next five years, every penny of which will be reinvested into the justice system.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 03/07/2019 16:52:38 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts

1134613

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Debt Collection
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many full time equivalent Civilian Enforcement Officers are in post.
	tabling member constituency	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
	tabling member printed	Liz Saville Roberts
	uin	269144
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2019 answer text <p>The number of Civilian Enforcement Officers that were employed by HM Courts and Tribunals Service at the end of quarter 4 2018/19.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Full Time Equivalent</p></td><td><p>Headcount</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018-19 Q4 end</p></td><td><p>96.53</p></td><td><p>105</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 02/07/2019 16:29:53 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4521 label Biography information for Liz Saville Roberts