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1465947

registered interest
date	25/05/2022
answering body	Attorney General
answering dept id	88
answering dept short name	Attorney General
answering dept sort name	Attorney General
hansard heading	Criminal Proceedings: Gangs
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the guidance issued by the Crown Prosecution Service on 4 November 2021 entitled Gang related offences - Decision making in, whether she has made an assessment of the potential effect of the guidance on the use of the term gang by prosecutors during proceedings.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	8997
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2022 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) guidance urges caution about the use of the word ‘gang’, explaining how it can properly be deployed in a prosecution, where substantiated by the evidence and relevant to a matter in issue in the proceedings. In drafting the guidance, the CPS assessed the potential effect of using ‘gang’ in proceedings and identified that the term is used in legislation and by criminal justice partners. The guidance clearly sets out that, given the negative connotations of the term ‘gang’, prosecutors should not refer to a group as a ‘gang’ in proceedings unless there is evidence to support the assertion. However, prosecutors must also ensure that where there is admissible evidence of gang membership, the case is put on a basis that reflects the often very serious gravity of the offending.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 06/06/2022 08:01:46 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1464694

registered interest
date	20/05/2022
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Dementia: Community Diagnostic Centres
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people living with dementia who have benefitted from community diagnostic centres.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	5652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/05/2022 answer text <p>No specific estimate has been made. We will set out plans for dementia in England for the next 10 years later this year, which will include a focus on dementia diagnosis.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 25/05/2022 09:50:54 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1464695

registered interest
date	20/05/2022
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Dementia: Screening
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make it his policy to increase screening for dementia in England.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	5653
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/05/2022 answer text <p>There is no nationally recommended screening programme for dementia in the United Kingdom. The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) reviewed the available evidence and found no screening test which could identify people with dementia before the onset of symptoms. The UK NSC also found there was no evidence that current treatments for dementia are effective. The UK NSC is due to the review the evidence for screening for dementia in 2022/23.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan question first answered 25/05/2022 11:25:32 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1464696

registered interest
date	20/05/2022
answering body	Department of Health and Social Care
answering dept id	17
answering dept short name	Health and Social Care
answering dept sort name	Health and Social Care
hansard heading	Dementia: Diagnosis
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the equity of the dementia diagnosis process.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	5654
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/05/2022 answer text <p>No formal assessment has been made. NHS England and NHS Improvement continue to monitor the monthly dementia diagnosis rate each month and provide analysis on trends at regional and sustainability and transformation partnership level to aid targeted recovery efforts. In 2021, factsheets were published to encourage local conversations to understand patterns and potential reasons for any trends in dementia diagnosis rates and identifying specific areas for support. In 2021/22, we also provided £17 million to clinical commissioning groups to address the needs of those waiting for diagnosis and those who have a diagnosis but are unable to access support services due to the pandemic.</p><p> </p><p>NHS England and NHS Improvement have also commissioned the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities’ Dementia Intelligence Network to investigate the underlying variation in dementia diagnosis rates in specific areas in England. This will include a focus on social and economic deprivation; rurality; demographic characteristics including age, ethnicity and educational attainment; and general health and life expectancy. We will set out plans for dementia in England for the next 10 years later this year, which will include a focus on dementia diagnosis.</p> answering member constituency Chichester answering member printed Gillian Keegan grouped question UIN 5678 question first answered 25/05/2022 11:24:38 answering member 4680 label Biography information for Gillian Keegan
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1464502

registered interest
date	19/05/2022
answering body	Department for Work and Pensions
answering dept id	29
answering dept short name	Work and Pensions
answering dept sort name	Work and Pensions
hansard heading	Bereavement Support Payment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the remedial order to extend eligibility for bereavement support payments will come into force.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	5399
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2022 answer text <p>Due to the nature of the Parliamentary processes, we cannot say at this stage when the Order will come into force. We will be updating the GOV.UK website at key points during the process: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bereavement-benefits-proposal-for-implementation-of-the-mclaughlin-2018-and-jackson-2020-judgments" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bereavement-benefits-proposal-for-implementation-of-the-mclaughlin-2018-and-jackson-2020-judgments</a></p> answering member constituency Hexham answering member printed Guy Opperman question first answered 24/05/2022 16:31:33 answering member 4142 label Biography information for Guy Opperman
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1464206

registered interest
date	18/05/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which Nightingale Courtrooms have been extended to 28 March 2023.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	4573
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2022 answer text <p>On 3 March 2022, HMCTS confirmed the extension of our tenure of 13 Nightingale court venues. This equates to 30 extra courtrooms to tackle the impact of COVID-19 on the justice system and secure speedier justice for victims.</p><p> </p><p>The table below outlines each of the Nightingale court venues that were extended, all of which were extended to the end of March 2023 with the exception of two venues which are annotated within the table.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Nightingale Court</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Number of courtrooms</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Barbican - London</p></td><td><p>Two Crown court rooms</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Croydon Jurys Inn - London</p></td><td><p>Two Crown court rooms</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Grand Connaught Rooms - London</p></td><td><p>Two Crown court rooms</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Prospero House – London (contracted until 31/12/2022)</p></td><td><p>Three Crown court rooms</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cloth Hall Court – North East</p></td><td><p>Three Crown court rooms</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Swansea Civic Centre - Wales</p></td><td><p>One Crown court room</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Former magistrates’ court Fleetwood – North West</p></td><td><p>Two civil court rooms</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Chichester - former combined court – South East</p></td><td><p>Two Crown court rooms</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Maidstone Mercure – South East</p></td><td><p>Two Crown court rooms</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Cirencester - former magistrates’ court – South West</p></td><td><p>One Crown court room, one Magistrates rooms</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Maple House, Birmingham – Midlands (contracted until 31/12/2022)</p></td><td><p>Two Crown court rooms and two civil and family court rooms</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Telford - former county court – Midlands</p></td><td><p>Three civil and family court rooms</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Wolverhampton Park Hall Hotel - Midlands</p></td><td><p>Two Crown court rooms</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency South Suffolk answering member printed James Cartlidge question first answered 23/05/2022 15:09:17 answering member 4519 label Biography information for James Cartlidge
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1464263

registered interest
date	18/05/2022
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, how many children currently remanded in custody are awaiting trial in the (a) Youth Court and (b) Crown Court.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	4574
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2022 answer text <p>The number of children and young people on remand is available and published monthly but not split into youth and crown courts.</p><p>The Youth Custody Service are unable to centrally report the number of children and young people that are on remand on the basis of their legal status. Legal basis reporting is driven by the most serious legal basis. Children and young people in custody for multiple matters, including remand may not be picked up through central reporting. A manual review of records is required to identify all children and young people who are remanded at any one time.</p><p>The PQ can only be answered through disproportionate costs due to how details on children and young peoples legal basis and court proceedings is recorded on case management systems used across the Youth Secure Estate. Answering the question in full requires manually searching individual case records.</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 23/05/2022 17:56:11 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1464264

registered interest
date	18/05/2022
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, what estimate he has made of the number of magistrates now sitting in-person on the bench in courts for trials following the removal of covid-19 restrictions in courts.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	4575
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2022 answer text <p>Magistrates are legally required to sit in benches of two for trials, but more usually they would sit as benches of three. During the pandemic, trials continued to be dealt with by magistrates sitting in person, but to ensure social distancing, magistrates sat more regularly as benches of two. Even prior to the lifting of restrictions, the installation of plexi-glass in court rooms, enabled most trials courts to return to sitting as benches of three. The lifting of covid-19 restrictions means there should be no barrier to magistrates sitting in person as a bench of three. Since the lifting of covid-19 restrictions, all magistrates are sitting in person excepting for matters dealt with under the single justice procedure.</p> answering member constituency South Suffolk answering member printed James Cartlidge question first answered 23/05/2022 16:32:54 answering member 4519 label Biography information for James Cartlidge
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1464265

registered interest
date	18/05/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Courts: Remote Working
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what guidance his Department provides to courts on who should determine whether a case should initially be listed and dealt with remotely.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	4576
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2022 answer text <p>The decision whether a case should be heard remotely is at the discretion of a judge, who will decide if it is appropriate and in the interests of justice to do so, taking into account the needs of the parties involved. The allocation of court facilities will be provided accordingly.</p><p> </p><p>HMCTS provide court staff with guidance to assist in the facilitation of remote hearings where a judge determines this method appropriate for a particular case. Public guidance on the use of remote hearings is available here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-expect-when-joining-a-telephone-or-video-hearing" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-expect-when-joining-a-telephone-or-video-hearing</a>.</p><p> </p><p>The Lord Chief Justice has recently issued guidance on remote attendance in the Crown Court which is available via the following link: <a href="https://www.judiciary.uk/announcements/message-from-the-lord-chief-justice-remote-attendance-by-advocates-in-the-crown-court/" target="_blank">Message from the Lord Chief Justice – Remote Attendance by Advocates in the Crown Court | Courts and Tribunals Judiciary</a>.</p> answering member constituency South Suffolk answering member printed James Cartlidge question first answered 23/05/2022 15:40:19 answering member 4519 label Biography information for James Cartlidge
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1464266

registered interest
date	18/05/2022
answering body	Ministry of Justice
answering dept id	54
answering dept short name	Justice
answering dept sort name	Justice
hansard heading	Young Offenders: Criminal Proceedings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people who allegedly committed offences as children have been (a) tried and (b) sentenced as adults in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Stockton North
tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
uin	4577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2022 answer text <p>We appreciate the impact that turning 18 can have on a defendant’s experience of the justice system, and that there will be occasions where a child crosses the age threshold before conviction (or acquittal) due to circumstances outside of their control. There are already safeguards in the system to prevent individuals in this position from being treated unfairly, including sentencing starting points based on age at offence and support for vulnerable defendants at adult court.</p><p> </p><p>Data in the table below shows the number of defendants aged under 18 at the point of allegedly committing an offence and aged 18 or over at the point of completion who were dealt with at the Crown Court in England and Wales from January 2020 to June 2019. Individuals in this position can also be dealt with in the magistrates’ court, however quality-assured data for the numbers of such cases, or for previous years in either court, are not currently available.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Month</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Defendants dealt with</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>Jan</p></td><td><p>118</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Feb</p></td><td><p>102</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Mar</p></td><td><p>108</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Apr</p></td><td><p>48</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>May</p></td><td><p>50</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Jun</p></td><td><p>45</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Jul</p></td><td><p>101</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Aug</p></td><td><p>59</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Sep</p></td><td><p>91</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Oct</p></td><td><p>66</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Nov</p></td><td><p>111</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Dec</p></td><td><p>76</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>Jan</p></td><td><p>84</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Feb</p></td><td><p>111</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Mar</p></td><td><p>165</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Apr</p></td><td><p>127</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>May</p></td><td><p>113</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Jun</p></td><td><p>121</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong>Notes</strong></p><p>1) Excludes a small number of cases with identified data quality issues (e.g. no date information recorded), breaches and appeals. On average across the series present 8% of defendants do not have a recorded age at offence and as such are excluded from this analysis.</p><p>2) Includes all criminal cases which have received a verdict and concluded in the specified time period in the Crown Court.</p><p>3) Only one offence is counted for each defendant in the case. If there is more than one offence per defendant that complete on the same day, a set of validation rules applies to select one offence only and these relate to the longest duration, seriousness and the lowest sequence number of the offence.</p><p>4) Data link using probabilistic recording linking ('Splink') methodology - further information of the matching methodology is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/joined-up-data-in-government-the-future-of-data-linking-methods/splink-mojs-open-source-library-for-probabilistic-record-linkage-at-scale</p><p>5) The number of defendants shows the number whose cases have completed and where it has been possible to match from initial appearance at magistrates’ court to completion in the Crown Court. The match rate is typically between 90-95%, as for some cases, it is not possible to match defendants through the system and these cases are excluded.</p><p>6) Estimates from Q3 2020 exclude cases which have transitioned to the Common Platform system in the early adopter sites from September 2020, this represents 1.6% of all disposals in the latest reporting period.</p><p>Source: Criminal Court Statistics, Data and Evidence as a Service - Courts and People (PQ 58392)</p> answering member constituency Louth and Horncastle answering member printed Victoria Atkins question first answered 23/05/2022 15:21:46 answering member 4399 label Biography information for Victoria Atkins
tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham