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1140581

	registered interest
	date	19/07/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Ministry of Justice: Credit Unions
	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 9 July 2019 to Question 271348, for what reasons his Department does not offer a payroll deduction service to enable employees to join a credit union; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	279370
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/07/2019 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice does not have the facility to allow staff to join a credit union through payroll deductions. Staff can still make arrangements to contribute to a credit union via direct debit.</p><p> </p><p>Although the Ministry does not currently offer such facility, we continue to explore options to support staff with financial wellbeing.</p> answering member constituency Charnwood answering member printed Edward Argar question first answered 29/07/2019 14:46:41 answering member 4362 label Biography information for Edward Argar
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1151055

	registered interest
	date	21/10/2019
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Ministry of Justice: Jainism and Zoroastrianism
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when representatives of the (a) Jain and (b) Zoroastrian community were invited to national events organised by his Department in each of the last two years.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	2654
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/10/2019 answer text <p>The Jain and Zoroastrian communities of this country have made, and continue to make a positive contribution to life in the United Kingdom. The Government values this contribution enormously.</p><p>When hosting events related to faith and belief, we welcome those from all faith or beliefs or non-belief to participate, including those who identify as Jain and Zoroastrian. In the last two years these included:</p><p>- an annual Diwali celebration with involvement and engagement from Jain staff;</p><p>- Faith and Belief Forums hosted in 2018 which provided an opportunity for all staff to discuss what more can be done to improve the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) experience for all staff of faith/belief and non-faith/belief;</p><p>- panel discussions during National Inclusion Week 2018 and 2019 where support for people of faith was discussed alongside other protected characteristics; and</p><p>- events hosted by our various Faith Networks, which are open to all staff regardless of their faith or belief.</p><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="12"><p>Representatives of the Jain and Zoroastrian faith groups, together with representatives from other faith traditions, were invited to meet Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) on 14 October 2019 to discuss prison chaplaincy work and future meetings with them both are envisaged to discuss the needs for their particular faiths.</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td><td><p> </p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 29/10/2019 15:34:29 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1172562

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Probate: Greater London
	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 on the effectiveness of the London Probate Office in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	6598
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/01/2020 answer text <p>In each of the last 5 years London Probate Office has received the following number of complaints about its effectiveness:</p><p>2019 – 106</p><p>2018 – 24</p><p>2017 – 9</p><p>2016 – 10</p><p>2015 – 14</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 30/01/2020 16:13:13 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1175696

	registered interest
	date	03/02/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Probate: Greater London
	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 30 January 2020 to Question 6598, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase in complaints his Department has received on the effectiveness of the London Probate Office.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	11442
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2020 answer text <p>London Probate Registry is currently delivering performance in line with expected targets.</p><p> </p><p>During 2019 performance fell below expected standards and as a result there was a rise in complaints over the delays that users experienced. The delays were caused due to a significant spike in work during in the first quarter of 2019 as well as some IT issues as a result of moving to a new system. These problems have been rectified and the system is now performing well.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 10/02/2020 14:49:22 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1179318

	registered interest
	date	21/02/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Shoplifting
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of section 22A of the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	18480
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>Section 176 of the Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 inserted Section 22A into the Magistrates’ Courts Act 1980. Under this provision, shoplifting of goods worth £200 or less is treated as a summary only offence, unless the defendant elects to be tried in the Crown Court. These cases can now be handled as police-led prosecutions.</p><p>Police-led prosecutions were introduced to provide a simpler and more proportionate response to high-volume, low-level offences where the case is uncontested, increasing police discretion to tackle crime in their area, freeing up CPS resource to focus on more complex cases, and generating efficiencies in the criminal justice system. The Ministry of Justice does not maintain statistics on police-led prosecutions.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 02/03/2020 13:02:57 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1179319

	registered interest
	date	21/02/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Crimes of Violence: Emergency Services
	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 effect of the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 on the demand for custodial resources; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	18481
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/02/2020 answer text <p>Attacks against our brave emergency workers who protect us are appalling and cowardly. That is why we doubled the maximum penalty for assaulting an emergency worker and gave judges the powers to aggravate the sentences for crimes committed against them.</p><p> </p><p>In the year ending September 2019, 1,205 people had been sentenced to immediate custody for the new offence of assault on an emergency worker, with custodial sentences averaging around 2-3 months over the period.</p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/866997/emergency-workers-table-sept-2019.xlsx" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/866997/emergency-workers-table-sept-2019.xlsx</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 28/02/2020 14:56:02 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1187778

	registered interest
	date	25/03/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Law Centres: Coronavirus
	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 provide additional funding from the public purse to law centres to help them respond to increases in the number of legal enquiries during the covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	34896
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/04/2020 answer text <p>We recognise the valuable role that Law Centres play in local communities across the country, and we support them in this vital work.</p><p> </p><p>It is right that the Government does what it can to help vulnerable people and the charity sector on which they rely during this challenging time. That is why the Government recently announced that it is providing £360m of funding to charities, as well as an additional £370m fund for smaller organisations at the heart of local communities.</p><p> </p><p>MoJ officials continue to meet regularly with representatives of law centres as well as the wider advice sector, to ensure that they are supported during this time and discuss ways in which we can work together to enhance the breadth of legal support available for everyone in society.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 21/04/2020 17:05:04 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1256000

	registered interest
	date	26/11/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Ministry of Justice: Credit Unions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether he plans to require his Department and its agencies to provide a payroll deduction service to allow staff to save more easily with a credit union; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	121136
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2020 answer text <p>The Ministry of Justice does not actively promote the use of Credit Unions to staff.</p><p> </p><p>However, any promotion of credit union schemes is generally publicised by the Trade Unions for staff to access.</p><p> </p><p>Although the Ministry does not currently provide such a facility, it does offer financial wellbeing support and advice, as part of its wider employee benefits offer to staff and will continue to explore options to support staff and raise awareness of financial wellbeing.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 04/12/2020 13:34:42 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1302384

	registered interest
	date	15/03/2021
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Powers of Attorney: Complaints
	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 on the use, including fraudulent use, of powers of attorney in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	168820
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2021 answer text <p>The OPG does not have the data available to answer the specific question. Below is the number of overall safeguarding referrals received by OPG in the last five years, along with the number of those referrals that were accepted for investigation but these cover referrals in relation to both LPAs and Deputyship cases</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Safeguarding referrals</p></td><td><p>Accepted for investigation</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>2,681</p></td><td><p>876</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016-17</p></td><td><p>5,327</p></td><td><p>1,266</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017-18</p></td><td><p>5,245</p></td><td><p>1,886</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018-19</p></td><td><p>6.740</p></td><td><p>2,883</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019-20</p></td><td><p>7,118</p></td><td><p>2,810</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020-21</p></td><td><p>6,476</p></td><td><p>1,893</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The rise in safeguarding referrals and investigations reflect the increase in LPAs and deputyships being registered each year – but the percentage of investigations as a total remains low (less than 1% of the number of registered LPAs and deputyships result in investigations).</p><p>In addition to the above, OPG have received 9 concerns related to potential fraud involving LPAs so far in 2020-21. OPG record a case as potential fraud if either the donor didn’t sign the LPA forms and/or the attorneys are not known to the donor. Most of the concerns OPG receive involve financial misappropriation, however OPG also receive concerns where it’s claimed the donor signed the form but didn’t understand what they were signing.</p><p>The OPG does not have the data available to answer the specific question. Below is the number of overall safeguarding referrals received by OPG in the last five years, along with the number of those referrals that were accepted for investigation but these cover referrals in relation to both LPAs and Deputyship cases</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Year</p></td><td><p>Safeguarding referrals</p></td><td><p>Accepted for investigation</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2015-16</p></td><td><p>2,681</p></td><td><p>876</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2016-17</p></td><td><p>5,327</p></td><td><p>1,266</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2017-18</p></td><td><p>5,245</p></td><td><p>1,886</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2018-19</p></td><td><p>6.740</p></td><td><p>2,883</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019-20</p></td><td><p>7,118</p></td><td><p>2,810</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020-21</p></td><td><p>6,476</p></td><td><p>1,893</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The rise in safeguarding referrals and investigations reflect the increase in LPAs and deputyships being registered each year – but the percentage of investigations as a total remains low (less than 1% of the number of registered LPAs and deputyships result in investigations).</p><p>In addition to the above, OPG have received 9 concerns related to potential fraud involving LPAs so far in 2020-21. OPG record a case as potential fraud if either the donor didn’t sign the LPA forms and/or the attorneys are not known to the donor. Most of the concerns OPG receive involve financial misappropriation, however OPG also receive concerns where it’s claimed the donor signed the form but didn’t understand what they were signing.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 23/03/2021 15:22:00 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

1302390

	registered interest
	date	15/03/2021
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Powers of Attorney: Prosecutions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prosecutions there have been for misuse of powers of attorney in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harrow West
	tabling member printed	Gareth Thomas
	uin	168821
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2021 answer text <p>The number of prosecutions involving misuse of powers of attorney is not centrally held in the court proceedings database as this specific offence is not separately identified in legislation. Identifying this offence separately would require a manual search of court records, incurring disproportionate costs.</p><p> </p><p>Published figures do provide the number of prosecutions for the following offences that may include misuse of powers of attorney amongst other offences:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Committing fraud by dishonestly abusing one's position</li><li>Ill-treatment or neglect of a person lacking capacity by anyone responsible for that person’s care</li></ul><p> </p><p>The number of prosecutions can be found by searching the above offences in the ‘detailed offence’ filter of the following data tool:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/938554/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2019.xlsx" target="_blank">https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/938554/HO-code-tool-principal-offence-2019.xlsx</a></p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 23/03/2021 15:23:25 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas