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1190865

	registered interest
	date	28/04/2020
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Coronavirus Act 2020
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the use of the powers contained in the Coronavirus Act 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	901907
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2020 answer text <p>I regularly meet ministerial colleagues to discuss important issues, including the Covid-19 outbreak. I am unable to talk about any legal content of those discussions because whether or not the Law Officers have given advice, by convention, is not disclosed outside Government.</p> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 28/04/2020 13:28:35 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1191180

	registered interest
	date	28/04/2020
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Remote Hearings: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps have been taken to ensure that virtual court hearings during the covid-19 outbreak are accessible for people with disabilities.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	41040
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>In response to the current pandemic HMCTS have increased the capacity for telephone and video hearings so that hearings can take place remotely where appropriate. We are clear that audio and video hearings provide an additional channel for conducting a hearing and should be as accessible as possible. However, they may not be suitable for everyone. The decision to hold a hearing by telephone or video is for the judge, panel or magistrate, taking into account the needs of the parties, including any disability or difficulties with access.</p><p>We ask participants to tell the court or tribunal if they need support or cannot participate effectively in the telephone or video hearing. The judiciary can then determine how to proceed, and whether to change the method of the hearing or put in place reasonable adjustments or alternative arrangements to ensure disabled users can participate.</p><p>We are working with the advice sector to fully understand the impacts on vulnerable people, reasonable adjustments, and reflecting up to date advice from the sector in our processes for court users to join hearings and related staff guidance. We have updated our GOV.UK content and have set up a technical support phone line for remote hearings and included additional information in hearing notices.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 05/05/2020 16:04:54 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1191181

	registered interest
	date	28/04/2020
	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, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that every person taking part in virtual court hearings during the covid-19 outbreak has adequate technology to do so.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	41041
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>In response to the current pandemic HMCTS have increased the capacity for telephone and video hearings so that hearings can take place remotely where appropriate. We are clear that audio and video hearings provide an additional channel for conducting a hearing and should be as accessible as possible. However, they may not be suitable for everyone. The decision to hold a hearing by telephone or video is for the judge, panel or magistrate, taking into account the needs of the parties, including their ability to access and use the right technology.</p><p>The technology used by HMCTS should be accessible for many people. The teleconferencing technology, BTMeetMe, requires a phone. The video technology (Skype for Business and the Cloud Video Platform) needs a stable internet connection and internet enabled device with a camera and microphone. In order to join Skype for Business calls as a guest, users will need to download the Skype Meetings web app or the Skype for Business desktop app. These are both free, and straight forward processes.</p><p>HMCTS provides information and guidance on joining a remote hearing in hearing notices and on GOV.UK. HMCTS has created staff guidance and learning products so that staff can support users over the phone and set up a technical support line for remote hearings.</p><p>Court users can inform HMCTS if they need support or cannot participate effectively in a telephone or video hearing. The judiciary can then determine how to proceed, and whether to change the method of the hearing or put in place reasonable adjustments for disabled people or alternative arrangements to ensure users can participate. For example, it is possible to dial someone into a video hearing if needed.</p><p>HMCTS is working with the advice sector who are advising us on the impacts on users including impacts relating to access to technology.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 05/05/2020 16:05:49 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1191182

	registered interest
	date	28/04/2020
	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, if his Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing retired judges back into employment to tackle the backlog of court cases that has accumulated since the beginning of the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	41042
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2020 answer text <p>The statutory retirement age for most judges is 70. The Lord Chief Justice (or in some instances the Senior President of Tribunals) may, with the concurrence of the Lord Chancellor, extend the appointment of judges below the High Court following their compulsory retirement date for a period of one year and for further one-year periods up to the point at which the judge turns 75 where it is in the public interest to do so.</p><p>The work that the judiciary are doing to prioritise the most urgent cases alongside court and tribunal staff, is keeping our justice system running in the most challenging of circumstances. The full resumption of cases will depend a great deal on the wider approach to social distancing to keep our judiciary, staff and court users safe and we continue to explore options to help with this.</p> answering member constituency Croydon South answering member printed Chris Philp question first answered 05/05/2020 16:07:10 answering member 4503 label Biography information for Chris Philp
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham