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1566032

registered interest
date	11/01/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	County Courts: Wales
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the scale of backlogs at County Courts in Wales; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays to hearing cases in those courts.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff Central
tabling member printed	Jo Stevens
uin	121051
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2023 answer text <p>A breakdown of the outstanding caseload in each region of England and Wales is not published.</p><p>We continue to work, in close partnership with the judiciary, to improve the service in the county courts. We are replacing inefficient processes with our reformed digital services, using available courtroom capacity and supporting the use of remote hearings (where a judge deems it appropriate) to maximise the number of sitting days used in the jurisdiction.</p><p>The MoJ and the judiciary have taken and are taking action to increase judicial capacity. This includes a recruitment programme of up to 1,000 judges and tribunal members in 2022/23, across all jurisdictions. HMCTS is also working to ensure we have sufficient staff resource in place to support the number of sitting days used across jurisdictions.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 16/01/2023 14:43:56 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4425 label Biography information for Jo Stevens

1565221

registered interest
date	10/01/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Gender Based Violence: Criminal Proceedings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reform the criminal justice system to help tackle violence against women and girls.
tabling member constituency	Blaydon
tabling member printed	Liz Twist
uin	903026
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2023 answer text <p>In 2021, HMG published the VAWG Strategy and the End-to-End Rape Review, in which the Government committed to more than doubling the number of adult rape cases reaching court. The number of people convicted of an adult rape offence went up by 65 percent over the past year (from 323 in the year to June 2021 to 532 in the year to June 2022).</p><p>As part of this we are rolling out Operation Soteria, a joint police and CPS programme to make investigations suspect-focussed rather than focussed on victim credibility. This has begun operating across nineteen police forces, with a national rollout ready from June 2023.</p><p>We are also increasing the number of Independent Sexual and Domestic Abuse Advisors to over 1,000 by 2024/25.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 10/01/2023 17:46:17 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4618 label Biography information for Liz Twist

1565222

registered interest
date	10/01/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Prisons: Drugs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce drug use in prisons.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	903028
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2023 answer text <p>We are investing up to £120 million to get offenders off drugs and into recovery.</p><p>We are also cracking down on drug supply into prisons, and have installed 75 additional x-ray body scanners resulting in full coverage across the closed adult male estate. As of April 2022, we had recorded approximately 20,000 positive scans, preventing drugs from entering prisons.</p><p>Prisoners will have access to high-quality treatment with a focus on abstinence-based recovery to end their addiction. We are rolling out up to 18 new, abstinence-only Drug Recovery Wings, and increasing the number of Incentivised Substance Free Living units where prisoners commit to remaining drug-free to up to 100.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 10/01/2023 15:57:47 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1565223

registered interest
date	10/01/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Gender Based Violence: Criminal Proceedings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to reform the criminal justice system to help tackle violence against women and girls.
tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
tabling member printed	Vicky Foxcroft
uin	903036
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/01/2023 answer text <p>In 2021, HMG published the VAWG Strategy and the End-to-End Rape Review, in which the Government committed to more than doubling the number of adult rape cases reaching court. The number of people convicted of an adult rape offence went up by 65 percent over the past year (from 323 in the year to June 2021 to 532 in the year to June 2022).</p><p>As part of this we are rolling out Operation Soteria, a joint police and CPS programme to make investigations suspect-focussed rather than focussed on victim credibility. This has begun operating across nineteen police forces, with a national rollout ready from June 2023.</p><p>We are also increasing the number of Independent Sexual and Domestic Abuse Advisors to over 1,000 by 2024/25.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 10/01/2023 17:47:45 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4491 label Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft

1565421

registered interest
date	10/01/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Reoffenders
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of courts backlogs on trends in the level of reoffending.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Steve Reed
uin	119997
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2023 answer text <p>The Government is committed to supporting the recovery of the courts to drive down the backlog and ensure victims see justice served sooner.</p><p> </p><p>Between 2009/10 and 2019/20, the overall proven reoffending rate has decreased from 30.9% to 25.6%. In the 2021 Prisons Strategy White Paper, we set out our ambitious plans to go further to drive down re-offending , getting offenders into skills training, work and stable accommodation. The Government’s 10-Year Drug Strategy also set out our plans to get more prison-leavers into substance misuse treatment to help them turn their back on crime.</p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 16/01/2023 13:34:29 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

1565621

registered interest
date	10/01/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Victims' Commissioner: Public Appointments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when he plans to announce the appointment of the new Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales.
tabling member constituency	Lewisham East
tabling member printed	Janet Daby
uin	120163
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2023 answer text <p>A campaign to recruit a new Victims’ Commissioner is underway, and we expect to identify a new Victims’ Commissioner by the spring.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 16/01/2023 11:12:40 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4698 label Biography information for Janet Daby

1565625

registered interest
date	10/01/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Victims' Commissioner: Public Appointments
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential impact on victims of crime of the vacancy for the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales.
tabling member constituency	Lewisham East
tabling member printed	Janet Daby
uin	120166
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2023 answer text <p>A campaign to recruit a new Victims’ Commissioner is underway, and we expect to identify a new Victims’ Commissioner by the Spring. The Office of the Victims’ Commissioner continues to operate during this interim period, and we are working closely at Ministerial and official level with the sector to ensure the voices of victims and witnesses continue to be heard.</p><p>In May 2022, we published our landmark draft Victims Bill and wider package of measures, to improve victims' experiences of the criminal justice system. The Bill will enshrine the overarching principles of the Victims’ Code in primary legislation; increase oversight of how criminal justice agencies treat victims; and enable improvements in the quality and consistency of support services for victims.</p><p>Alongside these measures, we are more than quadrupling the funding for victim and witness support services by 2024/25, up from £41m in 2009/10.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 16/01/2023 16:02:12 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
tabling member	4698 label Biography information for Janet Daby

1565675

registered interest
date	10/01/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Treatment of, and Outcomes For, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Individuals in the Criminal Justice System Independent Review
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 29 November 2022 to Question 95928 on the Lammy Review, how many of the accepted recommendations of that review have been implemented in full.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	120185
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2023 answer text <p>We welcomed the light shone on the criminal justice system by David Lammy’s 2017 Review, and we accepted 33 of the 35 recommendations from it, rejecting only the 2 that were matters for the independent judiciary and therefore the Government is not able to take a position on. Since the Government published the response, we have been clear that where a recommendation could not be implemented in full or exactly as set out, we would take alternative action to achieve the same aim. As such, we committed to actions against each of the 33 accepted recommendations.</p><p> </p><p>Of those actions we committed to in 2017, almost all have been completed, with work done against each of the accepted 33 recommendations. There are 4 recommendations with actions outstanding from our original commitments.</p><p> </p><p>Whilst most of the actions from 2017 have been completed, we recognise these actions were a start, not a complete solution. As such, we are going beyond just these commitments, and the recommendations, in our work to address race inequalities in the criminal justice system, such as the work outlined in the Inclusive Britain Strategy.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 16/01/2023 14:36:34 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1565676

registered interest
date	10/01/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Judiciary: Equality
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to help improve the diversity of the judiciary.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	120186
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2023 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice, as a member of the Judicial Diversity Forum (JDF), works closely with the judiciary, the Judicial Appointments Commission, the Legal Services Board and the legal professions to take actions to increase judicial diversity.</p><p> </p><p>In December, the Judicial Diversity Forum published its priorities and actions for 2023 <a href="https://judicialappointments.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/JDF-Priorities.pdf" target="_blank">https://judicialappointments.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/JDF-Priorities.pdf</a> which includes MoJ’s priorities: :</p><p> </p><ol start="1"><li><p>Leading the Pre-Application Judicial Education programme, which support lawyers from groups under-represented in the judiciary to be prepared for applying for a future judicial role.</p></li></ol><ol start="2"><li><p>Publishing comprehensive data in the annual combined Diversity of the Judiciary Statistics</p></li></ol><ol start="3"><li><p>Implementing the necessary steps for increasing CILEX lawyers eligibility for a wider range of judicial roles</p></li></ol><ol start="4"><li><p>Reviewing the application processes and barriers for non-traditional lawyers seeking judicial office.</p></li></ol><p> </p><p>The Government has also invested over £1 million to support the recruitment of new and diverse magistrates, the Government’s top priority for the magistracy. A new digitised recruitment process alongside an inclusive marketing campaign was launched in January 2022 as part of this programme of work, targeting underrepresented groups to ensure the magistracy is reflective of the communities it serves. A new Applicant Tracking System (ATS) was also introduced, allowing the MoJ to monitor the diversity of applicants which will help inform future recruitment activity.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 16/01/2023 14:39:00 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1565677

registered interest
date	10/01/2023
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the membership of the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board.
tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
uin	120187
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2023 answer text <p>The first Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board (CLAAB) meeting took place in October 2022, where CLAAB membership was discussed. The CLAAB membership currently includes representatives from the Bar Council, the Law Society, Criminal Bar Association, London Criminal Courts Solicitors’ Association, Criminal Law Solicitors’ Association, CILEX and Ministry of Justice officials.</p><p> </p><p>The CLAAB’s purpose is to provide independent advice to the Lord Chancellor on the operation and structure of the existing and future criminal legal aid fee schemes in England and Wales, and to assess how these schemes should change and modernise as the criminal justice system changes and develops.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 16/01/2023 14:41:47 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan