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1136735

	registered interest
	date	03/07/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept id	90
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	hansard heading	Members: Allowances
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, how much the new system for reimbursing hon. Members' expenses cost to implement.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	272731
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>I have asked IPSA to reply.</p><p>The original April 2016 business case for IPSA’s new IT system, IPSA Online, estimated a cost of £4.641 million. IPSA expected the programme to be completed in 2017-18. The full costs incurred to ensure IPSA could go live with IPSA Online at the beginning of the current financial year were £8.253 million.</p><p>The increase in cost was due in part to the unexpected General Election of June 2017 which diverted IPSA work for up to nine months to supporting MPs who left or joined parliament, and increased supplier costs. Costs also increased following a change of suppliers in September 2018 to improve the quality of IT support. Testing the system took longer than anticipated in order to ensure it was fully secure and free of technical problems. The increases in cost have been partly mitigated by savings elsewhere in IPSA’s budget. A full internal audit of the programme is currently taking place. IPSA will report to the Speaker’s Committee for the IPSA later in the year on the overall costs and benefits of IPSA Online.</p><p>IPSA is committed to supporting MPs and their staff during this transition and will make appropriate adjustments to improve the system as it beds in, while ensuring strong financial control, improvements in value for money, and high data quality and data security.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 10/07/2019 14:21:40 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1136873

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2019
	answering body	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept id	90
	answering dept short name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	answering dept sort name	Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority
	hansard heading	Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority: ICT
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for Broxbourne, representing the Speaker's Committee for the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, if the Commission will make an estimate of the cost to the public purse of the new IPSA system.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	273316
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2019 answer text <p>I have asked IPSA to reply.</p><p>The original April 2016 business case for IPSA’s new IT system, IPSA Online, estimated a cost of £4.641 million. IPSA expected the programme to be completed in 2017-18. The full costs incurred to ensure IPSA could go live with IPSA Online at the beginning of the current financial year were £8.253 million.</p><p>The increase in cost was due in part to the unexpected General Election of June 2017 which diverted IPSA work for up to nine months to supporting MPs who left or joined parliament, and increased supplier costs. Costs also increased following a change of suppliers in September 2018 to improve the quality of IT support. Testing the system took longer than anticipated in order to ensure it was fully secure and free of technical problems. The increases in cost have been partly mitigated by savings elsewhere in IPSA’s budget. A full internal audit of the programme is currently taking place. IPSA will report to the Speaker’s Committee for the IPSA later in the year on the overall costs and benefits of IPSA Online.</p><p>IPSA is committed to supporting MPs and their staff during this transition and will make appropriate adjustments to improve the system as it beds in, while ensuring strong financial control, improvements in value for money, and high data quality and data security.</p> answering member constituency Broxbourne answering member printed Mr Charles Walker question first answered 10/07/2019 14:22:06 answering member 1493 label Biography information for Sir Charles Walker
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew

1134964

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Theft
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Commissioners will make an estimate of the number of thefts of lead from church buildings in (a) the diocese of St Albans and (b) England in (i) 2018 and (ii) 2019 to date.
	tabling member constituency	North East Hertfordshire
	tabling member printed	Sir Oliver Heald
	uin	269594
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>The National Church Institutions do not hold information centrally about the theft of metal from Church of England churches, but records are kept at a diocesan level. Anecdotal evidence points to an increase in instances of metal theft from churches nationwide, with East Anglia and the Midlands being most affected.</p><p>Home Office Counting Rules do not require the police to record if a theft is from a listed building. The Church of England welcomes the July 2019 Sentencing Council proposals to introduce new sentencing guidelines for arson, criminal damage and vandalism of national heritage assets, including listed buildings, historic objects or unique parts of our historic environment.</p><p>Money to fund repairs or adaptations to church buildings is raised by local churches mainly through fundraising and local giving. There is no central Government funding, except through grants in respect of VAT paid on repairs to listed churches.</p><p>The following table for the Diocese of St Albans shows cases of metal theft or attempted theft since 2015. The Diocese covers the majority of the Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire area and contains 380 Anglican churches.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Number of Attacks</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015</p></td><td><p>13</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016</p></td><td><p>23</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017</p></td><td><p>7</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018</p></td><td><p>14</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>5</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The Diocese provides advice to local churches on protective and preventative measures, including forensic marking and roof alarms, working with the Beds and Herts Historic Churches Trust and the Allchurches Trust. Grants of up to £3,000 per church have been made available to more than 55 churches in the Diocese. In addition the Diocesan Board of Finance allocated 29 roof alarm grants in 2017 and 2018 from small trust funds for church repairs and maintenance. As a result there has been a significant reduction in the number of cases of metal theft in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, though incidents still occur. For example, in June 2019 St Mary's Church in Furneux Pelham north east Hertfordshire, had 90% of its lead roof stolen or damaged over a single weekend.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 08/07/2019 15:08:36 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman previous answer version 125947 answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	69 label Biography information for Sir Oliver Heald

1135780

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Tourism
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England has taken to promote tourism to its churches and cathedrals.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	271461
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>The Church of England welcomes the Government’s new Tourism Sector Deal, which encompasses all our churches and cathedrals and will give a significant boost to our cultural heritage. Cathedrals in England attract over 10 million visitors a year, the majority as tourists.</p><p>The Church supports the work of the Churches Visitor and Tourism Association on several initiatives that help the public learn more about their local churches:</p><ul><li>The<a href="https://www.explorechurches.org/" target="_blank"> Explore Churches</a> website run by the National Churches Trust provides a single online gateway for anyone wanting to visit churches, whether as a tourist or a pilgrim.</li><li>The <a href="https://facultyonline.churchofengland.org/churches" target="_blank">Church Heritage Record</a> provides geo-located data on every Church of England church, including information on the history of the building where it is available. Local congregations are encouraged to add details of their church to this and to <a href="https://www.achurchnearyou.com/" target="_blank">A Church Near You</a>, to help people planning visits.</li></ul><p>The Church of England also supports the Cathedrals Marketing and Communications Network to share best practice and coordinate national campaigns. Individual cathedrals encourage visitors through hosting special exhibitions, such as Luke Jerram’s <em>Gaia</em>, currently at Liverpool Cathedral, and Tim Peake’s space capsule, which was visited by over 170,000 people when on display at Peterborough Cathedral as part of a national tour.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 03/07/2019 15:43:20 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1135781

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Church of England: Community Development
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the Church of England is taking to encourage parishioners to support the local economy.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	271462
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2019 answer text <p>A recent study of the economic impact of cathedrals in England in 2014 showed that they generated around £220 million annually for the national economy. The report also showed that over 7,300 jobs depend on cathedrals, either through direct employment or the local economy.</p><p> </p><p>Tourists and visitors to English cathedrals generate an additional £125m for the local economy through visitor-related spend, which takes place directly in the towns and cities where cathedrals are based.</p><p> </p><p>No formal assessment has been made of the direct or indirect contribution of churches to the local economy.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 03/07/2019 15:45:25 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1133867

	registered interest
	date	21/06/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Criminal Proceedings: Travel
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what his Department's policy is on the reimbursement of travel expenses to people who have been in the criminal justice system.
	tabling member constituency	Delyn
	tabling member printed	David Hanson
	uin	267721
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/07/2019 answer text <p>It is essential that victims are supported in the criminal justice system, and the Government has made this a key priority. The reimbursement of travel expenses can be made to those who have been called as a witness in the Criminal Justice System.</p><p> </p><p>The payment of expenses and allowances to prosecution witnesses, where the Crown Prosecution Service is the prosecuting authority, is governed by the Crown Prosecution Service (Witnesses’ etc. Allowances) Regulations 1988. Full guidance on expenses and allowances for prosecution witnesses can be found here: <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/witness-expenses-and-allowances" target="_blank">https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/witness-expenses-and-allowances</a></p><p> </p><p>The rates or scales of expenses for defence witnesses are determined by the Ministry of Justice. The payment of expenses incurred by those called as a witness on behalf of a defendant are set out in Regulations made under Sections 19 and 20 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. Full guidance on expenses and allowances can be found here: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/592291/guide-allowances-under-part-v-costs-criminal-cases-general-september-2016.doc" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/592291/guide-allowances-under-part-v-costs-criminal-cases-general-september-2016.doc</a>. In addition, any acquitted defendant whose costs are ordered by a court to be paid out of central funds may be allowed the same travelling and subsistence allowances as if they attended to give evidence (i.e. an ordinary witness subsistence allowance, plus travelling expenses).</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 05/07/2019 10:35:20 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	533 label Biography information for David Hanson

1134935

	registered interest
	date	26/06/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Terrorism: Prosecutions
	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 Director of Public Prosecutions on ensuring more effective prosecutions of cases involving individuals supporting terrorism abroad.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	269685
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>The CPS has a strong record of bringing successful prosecutions in terrorism cases, and works closely with Counter Terrorism policing and partners to help build strong cases.</p><p> </p><p>Where individuals provide support to terrorism abroad, for example by funding terrorism, they should expect to be investigated by the police and prosecuted by the CPS if the evidential and public interest tests in the Code for Crown Prosecutors are met.</p><p> </p><p>Where crimes are committed abroad, Section 17 of the Terrorism Act 2006 provides the courts with extra-territorial jurisdiction in relation to a number of terrorism offences so that if an individual were to commit one of these offences in a foreign country, they would be liable under UK law in the same way as if they had committed the offence in the UK. As the nature of terrorism has evolved, section 17 has been amended to include further offences. The CPS strongly supported these legislative provisions to strengthen our ability to prosecute offenders.</p> answering member constituency Torridge and West Devon answering member printed Mr Geoffrey Cox question first answered 04/07/2019 11:15:29 answering member 1508 label Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Cox
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1135927

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	British American Tobacco: Corruption
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what the status is of the Serious Fraud Office investigation into British American Tobacco that was opened in 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford East
	tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
	uin	271596
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>Progress is being made on the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation into allegations of corruption in the conduct of business by British American Tobacco Plc, its subsidiaries and associated persons. It would not be appropriate to comment on the status of a live criminal investigation further at this stage.</p><p> </p><p>When it is appropriate to do so, the SFO will publish updates on the status of the investigation on their website. The most recent information can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.sfo.gov.uk/cases/british-american-tobacco/" target="_blank">https://www.sfo.gov.uk/cases/british-american-tobacco/</a></p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 04/07/2019 11:14:14 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1135935

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Prosecutions: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps his Department is taking with the legal profession to raise awareness of ADHD in the decision-making process on prosecutions.
	tabling member constituency	Oxford East
	tabling member printed	Anneliese Dodds
	uin	271599
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>The Law Officers superintend the Crown Prosecution Service which has recently held a public consultation on its legal guidance on prosecuting offenders with mental health conditions and disorders, to ensure the decision-making process is as well-informed as possible.</p><p>As part of that consultation, which closed on 4 June, the CPS will consider how best to reflect the responses received concerning ADHD in its legal guidance.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 08/07/2019 16:00:47 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	4657 label Biography information for Anneliese Dodds

1136100

	registered interest
	date	02/07/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Cybercrime: Rule of Law
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the application of the rule of law to cyber activities.
	tabling member constituency	North East Hampshire
	tabling member printed	Mr Ranil Jayawardena
	uin	911731
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>I regularly meet ministerial colleagues to discuss important issues of common interest, including on matters relating to the rule of law. As my predecessor set out in his speech at Chatham House in May 2018, the UK has been clear that we consider cyber space to be an integral part of the rules based international order that we are proud to promote.</p><p> </p><p>Cyber space is not a lawless world. It is the Government’s view that there are boundaries of acceptable state behaviour in cyber space, just as there are everywhere else. Hostile actors cannot take action by cyber means without consequence.</p> answering member constituency Torridge and West Devon answering member printed Mr Geoffrey Cox question first answered 04/07/2019 11:10:59 answering member 1508 label Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Cox
	tabling member	4498 label Biography information for Mr Ranil Jayawardena