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45730

registered interest
date	27/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to the Howard League for Penal Reform's request to the Ministry of Justice to reverse their ban on family and friends sending books to prisoners.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL6379
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p /> <p /> <p>There are important reasons why we have restricted the sending in of parcels by families and friends of prisoners and we do not intend to withdraw those restrictions. The changes we introduced last year in relation to parcels were to ensure consistency across the estate and to make sure that security can be maintained. There have always been controls on the sending of parcels into prisons, and allowing parcels to be sent in unrestricted would be operationally unmanageable and would lead to a significant risk of drugs and other illicit items being smuggled into prisons.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have always recognised the importance of reading and literature in the rehabilitative process, and the positive effects these have on prisoners' welfare. <em>Every prison has a library, to which every prisoner has access. Prisoners may hold up to 12 books in their cell at any one time, and additional books can be stored locally at the prison. </em>The National Offender Management Service also works closely with the Shannon Trust to support schemes such as 'Toe by Toe', which includes peer mentoring to improve reading levels.<em> </em></p> answering member printed Lord Wallace of Saltaire question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1816 label Biography information for Lord Wallace of Saltaire
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

45734

registered interest
date	27/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ascertain the number of ex-service personnel receiving (1) custodial, and (2) non-custodial, sentences.
tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
uin	HL6383
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice does not centrally collate or hold information on the current or previous occupations of those receiving custodial or non-custodial sentences; it is therefore not possible to identify ex-service personnel within centrally held data sources. However, in September 2010, the MOJ and Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) published an estimate of the number of regular ex-service personnel in prison in England and Wales and in March 2011, the MOJ and DASA published a further estimate of the number of regular ex-service personnel under probation supervision in England and Wales.</p><p>Copies of the reports are available via the following links:</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ex-armed-forces-prisoners-in-england-and-wales-statistics-2010" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ex-armed-forces-prisoners-in-england-and-wales-statistics-2010</a></p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterans-on-probation-statistics" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/veterans-on-probation-statistics</a></p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

45735

registered interest
date	27/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will attempt to measure the re-offending rates of ex-service personnel convicted of criminal offences.
tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
uin	HL6384
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The Ministry of Justice does not centrally collate or hold information on the current or previous occupation of those convicted of criminal offences; therefore it is not possible to provide re-offending rates for ex-service personnel in the criminal justice system.</p><p> </p><p>Rory Stewart MP has been invited to conduct an independent review of ex-Service personnel within the criminal justice system. He has been asked to consider the needs of ex-Services personnel, current rehabilitation available to them, how they are identified and best practice. The Review is due to report back in autumn 2014 and we will then consider his recommendations.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

45744

registered interest
date	27/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government how many legal cases were decided under Sharia law in the United Kingdom in 2012 and 2013.
tabling member printed	Lord Bradshaw
uin	HL6393
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>Sharia law has no jurisdiction here and legal cases are not decided under Sharia law in the United Kingdom's courts and tribunals. The answer to the question is therefore ‘none'.</p><p>If people choose to use Sharia for the purposes of dispute resolution or to agree a contract, for example, the enforceability of such arrangements will be entirely dependent on the law of the relevant part of the United Kingdom.</p><p>Regardless of religious belief everyone in the United Kingdom is equal before the law of the land.</p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	2483 label Biography information for Lord Bradshaw

45745

registered interest
date	27/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, in the light of the guidelines issued by the Law Society on 13 March on making wills "Sharia compliant", what steps they are taking to prevent the escalation of the problem identified by the Law Society.
tabling member printed	Lord Bradshaw
uin	HL6394
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>Sharia law has no jurisdiction in England and Wales and the Government has no intention to change this position.</p><p> </p><p>The Government also has no intention of changing the fundamental principle of the law of succession in England and Wales that testators are, by making a valid will, able to leave their property to whomsoever they wish, subject only to the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975.</p><p> </p><p>We encourage people to make wills by providing a relatively straightforward legal framework that keeps the formalities to a minimum and enables wills to be made quickly and inexpensively; and are considering what further steps we can take to raise awareness of the importance of making a will and to make the process simpler. We provide information to help people considering making a will on government websites: see, for example, https://www.gov.uk/make-will and <a href="http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/probate/why-make-a-will" target="_blank">www.justice.gov.uk/courts/probate/why-make-a-will</a>.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	2483 label Biography information for Lord Bradshaw

45754

registered interest
date	27/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when the Lord Chancellor or any Minister in his Department last met the chief executive officer of the Legal Aid Agency; and whether they discussed (1) the issue of publicly funded representation at inquests for the families of deceased victims, and (2) the provision for publicly funded representation at the inquest of the family of Cherry Groce.
tabling member printed	Lord Boateng
uin	HL6403
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>The Chief Executive of the Legal Aid Agency has regular meetings with ministers at the Ministry of Justice.</p><p>Following a review of its decision in the Groce family's case, the Legal Aid Agency made a funding request to Ministers. Ministers have considered the request and have granted funding.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member printed Lord Faulks question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	147 label Biography information for Lord Boateng

45755

registered interest
date	27/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the functioning of the inquest system in the absence of publicly funded legal representation for the families of deceased victims of actions on the part of the police or other public authorities.
tabling member printed	Lord Boateng
uin	HL6404
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is confident that the inquest system is functioning effectively following reforms introduced last July under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. We are committed to reviewing the impact of the reforms in 2015.</p><p>In addition, the Government has specifically protected legal aid for families at inquests. Legal Help (the advice and assistance level of legal aid) remains routinely available within the scope of the civil legal aid scheme. In exceptional circumstances funding can also be provided for the family's legal representation at the inquest pursuant to section 6(8)(b) of the Access to Justice Act 1999 (AJA) or section 10(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) (the applicable legislation depending on the date of the original application). A means test applies but can be waived in certain circumstances.</p><p>The Lord Chancellor is prevented by statute from giving directions and guidance to the Legal Aid Agency in relation to an individual case, but has published general guidance to which the Director of Legal Aid Casework must have regard when making individual decisions on applications for exceptional funding for representation at inquests. The guidance sets out the relevant criteria and specifically addresses inquests where there is a death in custody or a death in the course of police arrest, search, pursuit or shooting.</p><p>Following a review of its decision in the Groce family's case, the Legal Aid Agency made a funding request to the Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor has considered the request and has granted funding</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Faulks grouped question UIN HL6405 HL6406 HL6407 question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	147 label Biography information for Lord Boateng

45756

registered interest
date	27/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to review the effectiveness of the inquest system in respect of the absence of a duty on the Legal Aid Agency to ensure publicly funded legal representation at inquests for families of victims of deaths in custody from the actions of police officers or in circumstances of failures in the duty of care of public authorities.
tabling member printed	Lord Boateng
uin	HL6405
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is confident that the inquest system is functioning effectively following reforms introduced last July under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. We are committed to reviewing the impact of the reforms in 2015.</p><p>In addition, the Government has specifically protected legal aid for families at inquests. Legal Help (the advice and assistance level of legal aid) remains routinely available within the scope of the civil legal aid scheme. In exceptional circumstances funding can also be provided for the family's legal representation at the inquest pursuant to section 6(8)(b) of the Access to Justice Act 1999 (AJA) or section 10(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) (the applicable legislation depending on the date of the original application). A means test applies but can be waived in certain circumstances.</p><p>The Lord Chancellor is prevented by statute from giving directions and guidance to the Legal Aid Agency in relation to an individual case, but has published general guidance to which the Director of Legal Aid Casework must have regard when making individual decisions on applications for exceptional funding for representation at inquests. The guidance sets out the relevant criteria and specifically addresses inquests where there is a death in custody or a death in the course of police arrest, search, pursuit or shooting.</p><p>Following a review of its decision in the Groce family's case, the Legal Aid Agency made a funding request to the Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor has considered the request and has granted funding</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Faulks grouped question UIN HL6404 HL6406 HL6407 question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	147 label Biography information for Lord Boateng

45757

registered interest
date	27/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what guidelines have been issued to the Legal Aid Agency to ensure that families of deceased victims are legally represented at an inquest where criminal charges have previously been investigated.
tabling member printed	Lord Boateng
uin	HL6406
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is confident that the inquest system is functioning effectively following reforms introduced last July under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. We are committed to reviewing the impact of the reforms in 2015.</p><p>In addition, the Government has specifically protected legal aid for families at inquests. Legal Help (the advice and assistance level of legal aid) remains routinely available within the scope of the civil legal aid scheme. In exceptional circumstances funding can also be provided for the family's legal representation at the inquest pursuant to section 6(8)(b) of the Access to Justice Act 1999 (AJA) or section 10(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) (the applicable legislation depending on the date of the original application). A means test applies but can be waived in certain circumstances.</p><p>The Lord Chancellor is prevented by statute from giving directions and guidance to the Legal Aid Agency in relation to an individual case, but has published general guidance to which the Director of Legal Aid Casework must have regard when making individual decisions on applications for exceptional funding for representation at inquests. The guidance sets out the relevant criteria and specifically addresses inquests where there is a death in custody or a death in the course of police arrest, search, pursuit or shooting.</p><p>Following a review of its decision in the Groce family's case, the Legal Aid Agency made a funding request to the Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor has considered the request and has granted funding</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Faulks grouped question UIN HL6404 HL6405 HL6407 question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	147 label Biography information for Lord Boateng

45758

registered interest
date	27/03/2014
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the decision to refuse legal aid to the family of Cherry Groce at the inquest into her death is consistent with the equality objectives of the Ministry of Justice.
tabling member printed	Lord Boateng
uin	HL6407
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The Government is confident that the inquest system is functioning effectively following reforms introduced last July under the Coroners and Justice Act 2009. We are committed to reviewing the impact of the reforms in 2015.</p><p>In addition, the Government has specifically protected legal aid for families at inquests. Legal Help (the advice and assistance level of legal aid) remains routinely available within the scope of the civil legal aid scheme. In exceptional circumstances funding can also be provided for the family's legal representation at the inquest pursuant to section 6(8)(b) of the Access to Justice Act 1999 (AJA) or section 10(1) of the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) (the applicable legislation depending on the date of the original application). A means test applies but can be waived in certain circumstances.</p><p>The Lord Chancellor is prevented by statute from giving directions and guidance to the Legal Aid Agency in relation to an individual case, but has published general guidance to which the Director of Legal Aid Casework must have regard when making individual decisions on applications for exceptional funding for representation at inquests. The guidance sets out the relevant criteria and specifically addresses inquests where there is a death in custody or a death in the course of police arrest, search, pursuit or shooting.</p><p>Following a review of its decision in the Groce family's case, the Legal Aid Agency made a funding request to the Lord Chancellor. The Lord Chancellor has considered the request and has granted funding</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Faulks grouped question UIN HL6404 HL6405 HL6406 question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 4183 label Biography information for Lord Faulks
tabling member	147 label Biography information for Lord Boateng