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1702157

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Civil Proceedings: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether it is his policy to invest all additional revenue from court and tribunal fees into the Courts and Tribunals Service to help tackle the civil case backlog.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	22557
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/04/2024 answer text <p>Additional income raised from court and tribunal fees will make a significant contribution to vital work taking place across the Department to facilitate an effective and efficient justice system. This includes our continuous efforts to improve HMCTS service performance and reduce court backlogs.</p><p>Fees generated £727 million in income for the Ministry of Justice in 2022/23 out of the total c.£2.3 billion that it cost to run HMCTS. The recent round of fee uplifts is expected to raise another £30 million – £37 million a year in additional income.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 23/04/2024 14:08:21 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1701865

	registered interest
	date	17/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoner Escorts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many magistrates court hearings have been delayed or could not go ahead due to a (a) failure to deliver a prisoner and (b) delay in bringing a prisoner to court by (i) SERCO and (ii) other providers of escort services since 2017, by court.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	22304
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>It is not possible to provide the information requested without detailed examination of individual records for more than 220 courts, across two Prisoner Escort and Custody Services contract generations (Generation 3, 2011 – 2020, and Generation 4, 2020 – 2030), and this would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Gareth Bacon grouped question UIN 22305 question first answered 22/04/2024 14:59:44 answering member 4798 label Biography information for Gareth Bacon
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1701866

	registered interest
	date	17/04/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoner Escorts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions prisoners were delivered late to (a) a magistrates’ court hearing and (b) a Crown Court hearing, by each court, since 2017.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	22305
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/04/2024 answer text <p>It is not possible to provide the information requested without detailed examination of individual records for more than 220 courts, across two Prisoner Escort and Custody Services contract generations (Generation 3, 2011 – 2020, and Generation 4, 2020 – 2030), and this would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Gareth Bacon grouped question UIN 22304 question first answered 22/04/2024 14:59:44 answering member 4798 label Biography information for Gareth Bacon
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1700943

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	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	Social Security Benefits: Uprating
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether it remains his Department's policy for benefits to continue to be increased in line with inflation.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	21657
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2024 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is required by law to undertake an annual review of State Pensions and benefits.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State will commence his 2025/26 up-rating review in the Autumn.</p> answering member constituency Bury St Edmunds answering member printed Jo Churchill question first answered 18/04/2024 14:00:12 answering member 4380 label Biography information for Jo Churchill
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1700946

	registered interest
	date	15/04/2024
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Debt Respite Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of extending the Breathing Space (Debt Respite Scheme) to 180 days.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	21658
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/04/2024 answer text <p>The government launched the Breathing Space scheme on 4 May 2021, and as of February 2024, over 216,000 people in problem debt have benefited from Breathing Space protections.</p><p> </p><p>In developing the scheme, the government took the decision that sixty days is an appropriate period for breathing space to last to give individuals the time to engage with debt advice, whilst maintaining fairness and certainty for creditors.</p> answering member constituency Hitchin and Harpenden answering member printed Bim Afolami question first answered 18/04/2024 13:21:26 answering member 4639 label Biography information for Bim Afolami
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1698472

	registered interest
	date	25/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Small Claims: Internet
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the accessibility of the official injury claim small claims portal.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	20308
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>The Official Injury Claim (OIC) service is a free, easy-to-use online system owned and operated by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB) on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. OIC was built to be usable and accessible including to those with access needs or who prefer or require assistive or adaptive technologies.</p><p>On-screen guidance leads both represented and unrepresented claimants through the claims process, supported by an online help-hub and additional written guidance. There is also a dedicated telephone Portal Support Centre who can assist claimants who need to make a paper-based claim. The OIC also provides translation services in multiple foreign languages.</p><p>Ministry of Justice officials continue to work with MIB to increase awareness and improve the visibility of the OIC through identifying and implementing appropriate web optimisation. Regularly updated useful information on making a claim via the OIC is also available on GOV.UK.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 15/04/2024 11:20:18 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1698474

	registered interest
	date	25/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Civil Proceedings: Witnesses
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to paragraph 4 of Practice Direction 1A - Participation of Vulnerable Parties or Witnesses, how many civil cases involve each of the vulnerability factors listed.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	20309
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>The information requested is not held centrally.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris question first answered 15/04/2024 11:48:10 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1698475

	registered interest
	date	25/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Business and Trade
	answering dept id	214
	answering dept short name	Business and Trade
	answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
	hansard heading	Holidays: Personal Injury
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what progress she has made on establishing an exceptional compensation scheme for holidaymakers who have outstanding (a) loss of life and (b) serious personal injury claims against UK companies.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	20310
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2024 answer text <p>The Government understands that an alternative route for Thomas Cook personal injury claimants is being pursued that would potentially be financially beneficial to them.</p><p> </p><p>The Government is committed to establishing a payment scheme for customers of Thomas Cook with serious and long-term injuries for which the company would have been liable but for its insolvency, if it is established that there are no alternative routes to compensation.</p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 15/04/2024 15:05:24 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1697057

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Civil Proceedings and Family Proceedings: Legal Representation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to the document entitled Qualified legal representative appointed by the Court: Statutory guidance, published in July 2022, how many qualified legal representatives have been registered in (a) family and (b) other civil cases since the publication of that guidance.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	19348
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>The Qualified Legal Representative (QLR) scheme was introduced in July 2022, following the Government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021) which prohibited unrepresented perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims or alleged victims in family and civil proceedings, and vice versa. The prohibition ensures that vulnerable victims and witnesses are not traumatised by being cross-examined directly by their alleged perpetrator.</p><p>As of 20 March 2024, there are currently 366 QLRs registered to undertake work in the family courts and 78 QLRs registered to undertake work in the civil courts. We do not hold central data on total registrations since the publication of the statutory guidance.</p><p>Circumstances under which a QLR is required vary, for example, depending on whether parties have their own representation, and decisions on which cases require QLRs are taken by the courts. We do not collect data centrally on how many cases have required a QLR, or the number of QLRs that have presented cases under the scheme.</p><p>We do not hold central data on how many QLRs have completed training, which they are able to access from a range of external providers. The Government encourages legal professionals to take up this important work to assist in both the family and civil courts, and to complete the required training as early as practicable.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris grouped question UIN 19349 19350 19351 19352 question first answered 22/03/2024 14:43:29 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1697059

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Legal Representation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many cases a qualified legal representative was (a) required and (b) available.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	19349
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>The Qualified Legal Representative (QLR) scheme was introduced in July 2022, following the Government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021) which prohibited unrepresented perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims or alleged victims in family and civil proceedings, and vice versa. The prohibition ensures that vulnerable victims and witnesses are not traumatised by being cross-examined directly by their alleged perpetrator.</p><p>As of 20 March 2024, there are currently 366 QLRs registered to undertake work in the family courts and 78 QLRs registered to undertake work in the civil courts. We do not hold central data on total registrations since the publication of the statutory guidance.</p><p>Circumstances under which a QLR is required vary, for example, depending on whether parties have their own representation, and decisions on which cases require QLRs are taken by the courts. We do not collect data centrally on how many cases have required a QLR, or the number of QLRs that have presented cases under the scheme.</p><p>We do not hold central data on how many QLRs have completed training, which they are able to access from a range of external providers. The Government encourages legal professionals to take up this important work to assist in both the family and civil courts, and to complete the required training as early as practicable.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris grouped question UIN 19348 19350 19351 19352 question first answered 22/03/2024 14:43:29 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1697060

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Legal Representation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, in how many cases a qualified legal representative was (a) required and (b) not available.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	19350
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>The Qualified Legal Representative (QLR) scheme was introduced in July 2022, following the Government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021) which prohibited unrepresented perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims or alleged victims in family and civil proceedings, and vice versa. The prohibition ensures that vulnerable victims and witnesses are not traumatised by being cross-examined directly by their alleged perpetrator.</p><p>As of 20 March 2024, there are currently 366 QLRs registered to undertake work in the family courts and 78 QLRs registered to undertake work in the civil courts. We do not hold central data on total registrations since the publication of the statutory guidance.</p><p>Circumstances under which a QLR is required vary, for example, depending on whether parties have their own representation, and decisions on which cases require QLRs are taken by the courts. We do not collect data centrally on how many cases have required a QLR, or the number of QLRs that have presented cases under the scheme.</p><p>We do not hold central data on how many QLRs have completed training, which they are able to access from a range of external providers. The Government encourages legal professionals to take up this important work to assist in both the family and civil courts, and to complete the required training as early as practicable.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris grouped question UIN 19348 19349 19351 19352 question first answered 22/03/2024 14:43:29 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1697062

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Legal Representation: Training
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many qualified legal representatives had completed vulnerable witness training when they registered for the scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	19351
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>The Qualified Legal Representative (QLR) scheme was introduced in July 2022, following the Government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021) which prohibited unrepresented perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims or alleged victims in family and civil proceedings, and vice versa. The prohibition ensures that vulnerable victims and witnesses are not traumatised by being cross-examined directly by their alleged perpetrator.</p><p>As of 20 March 2024, there are currently 366 QLRs registered to undertake work in the family courts and 78 QLRs registered to undertake work in the civil courts. We do not hold central data on total registrations since the publication of the statutory guidance.</p><p>Circumstances under which a QLR is required vary, for example, depending on whether parties have their own representation, and decisions on which cases require QLRs are taken by the courts. We do not collect data centrally on how many cases have required a QLR, or the number of QLRs that have presented cases under the scheme.</p><p>We do not hold central data on how many QLRs have completed training, which they are able to access from a range of external providers. The Government encourages legal professionals to take up this important work to assist in both the family and civil courts, and to complete the required training as early as practicable.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris grouped question UIN 19348 19349 19350 19352 question first answered 22/03/2024 14:43:29 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1697063

	registered interest
	date	19/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Legal Representation: Training
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department is taking steps to monitor the requirement for qualified legal representatives to undergo vulnerable witness training within six months of registering.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	19352
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>The Qualified Legal Representative (QLR) scheme was introduced in July 2022, following the Government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021) which prohibited unrepresented perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims or alleged victims in family and civil proceedings, and vice versa. The prohibition ensures that vulnerable victims and witnesses are not traumatised by being cross-examined directly by their alleged perpetrator.</p><p>As of 20 March 2024, there are currently 366 QLRs registered to undertake work in the family courts and 78 QLRs registered to undertake work in the civil courts. We do not hold central data on total registrations since the publication of the statutory guidance.</p><p>Circumstances under which a QLR is required vary, for example, depending on whether parties have their own representation, and decisions on which cases require QLRs are taken by the courts. We do not collect data centrally on how many cases have required a QLR, or the number of QLRs that have presented cases under the scheme.</p><p>We do not hold central data on how many QLRs have completed training, which they are able to access from a range of external providers. The Government encourages legal professionals to take up this important work to assist in both the family and civil courts, and to complete the required training as early as practicable.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris grouped question UIN 19348 19349 19350 19351 question first answered 22/03/2024 14:43:29 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1696750

	registered interest
	date	18/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Prisoner Escorts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many Crown Court hearings have been delayed due to a (a) failure to deliver a prisoner and (b) a delay in bringing a prisoner to a court by (i) Serco and (ii) other providers of escort services.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	19051
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2024 answer text <p>The number of contractual delays at the Crown Court attributable to the two PECS suppliers, in each month from September 2023 to February 2024, is shown in the table below.</p><p>Contractual delays include both failure to deliver a prisoner, and delay in bringing a prisoner to court. In contractual terms, a delay occurs when a prisoner who is at that time the responsibility of a PECS supplier, is not available in the courtroom at the required time so that courtroom business is delayed by 15 minutes or more. Whenever a delay occurs, its cause is investigated by the PECS Management Team in His Majesty’s Prison &amp; Probation Service. During the period for which data have been provided, there were no instances of failure to deliver a prisoner: all recorded instances are attributable to delay in bringing a prisoner to court.</p><p> </p><p>PECS contractual delays to Crown Court hearings, September 2023 to February 2024</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Serco</p></td><td><p>Total moves to Crown Court</p></td><td><p>Number of contractual delays</p></td><td><p>Performance %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sep 2023</p></td><td><p>4872</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>99.90</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Oct 2023</p></td><td><p>4651</p></td><td><p>8</p></td><td><p>99.83</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nov 2023</p></td><td><p>5408</p></td><td><p>17</p></td><td><p>99.69</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dec 2023</p></td><td><p>3803</p></td><td><p>20</p></td><td><p>99.48</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan 2024</p></td><td><p>5136</p></td><td><p>14</p></td><td><p>99.73</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Feb 2024</p></td><td><p>4733</p></td><td><p>7</p></td><td><p>99.86</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>GEOAmey</p></td><td><p>Total moves to Crown Court</p></td><td><p>Number of contractual delays</p></td><td><p>Performance %</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Sep 2023</p></td><td><p>4904</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>99.96</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Oct 2023</p></td><td><p>5169</p></td><td><p>3</p></td><td><p>99.95</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Nov 2023</p></td><td><p>5559</p></td><td><p>2</p></td><td><p>99.97</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Dec 2023</p></td><td><p>4419</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>99.99</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Jan 2024</p></td><td><p>5586</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>99.99</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Feb 2024</p></td><td><p>5223</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>99.99</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Orpington answering member printed Gareth Bacon question first answered 26/03/2024 16:39:57 answering member 4798 label Biography information for Gareth Bacon
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1695809

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Civil Proceedings
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average waiting time for a first hearing of a civil justice case was in the latest period for which data is available.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	18431
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2024 answer text <p>I refer the honourable Member for Stockton North to the answer I gave on 19 February 2024 to PQ <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-02-06/13277" target="_blank">13277</a> and the answer I gave on the 23 January 2024 to PQ <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-01-15/9675" target="_blank">9675</a> in relation to the steps being taken to improve timeliness in civil courts.</p><p>Due to the nature of Civil claims, data relating to the number of people awaiting hearing is not held centrally. The time to hearing in relation to the small proportion of civil claims which are defended and proceed to trial is published quarterly: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-justice-statistics-quarterly" target="_blank">Civil justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.</a></p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer grouped question UIN 18432 18435 question first answered 18/03/2024 17:07:24 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1695810

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Civil Proceedings
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to reduce the backlog in civil courts; and whether he has set targets to reduce average waiting times by case type.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	18432
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2024 answer text <p>I refer the honourable Member for Stockton North to the answer I gave on 19 February 2024 to PQ <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-02-06/13277" target="_blank">13277</a> and the answer I gave on the 23 January 2024 to PQ <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-01-15/9675" target="_blank">9675</a> in relation to the steps being taken to improve timeliness in civil courts.</p><p>Due to the nature of Civil claims, data relating to the number of people awaiting hearing is not held centrally. The time to hearing in relation to the small proportion of civil claims which are defended and proceed to trial is published quarterly: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-justice-statistics-quarterly" target="_blank">Civil justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.</a></p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer grouped question UIN 18431 18435 question first answered 18/03/2024 17:07:24 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1695811

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Personal Injury: Compensation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average settlement time is for minor injury claims going through the Official Injury Claim portal.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	18433
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2024 answer text <p>Average settlement time for claims going through the Official Injury Claim (OIC) portal at the end of February 2024 was 239 days. This can be broken down to 259 days for represented claimants and 115 days for unrepresented claimants. Further information and data on OIC can be found here: <a href="https://www.officialinjuryclaim.org.uk/resources-for-professionals/data/" target="_blank">https://www.officialinjuryclaim.org.uk/resources-for-professionals/data/.</a></p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 18/03/2024 17:33:24 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1695812

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Motor Vehicles: Insurance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Over £1 billion savings for motorists as whiplash reforms come into force, published on 31 May 2021, what estimate he has made of the average saving on motor insurance in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	18434
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2024 answer text <p>Part 3 of the Civil Liability Act 2018 (the Act) requires motor insurers in England and Wales to provide the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with data on savings arising from its provisions and on how they have been passed on to policy holders. The Act also requires that a report on the savings made must be completed and laid before Parliament by no later than 1 April 2025. The data gathering phase has been completed and the FCA are now working with HM Treasury officials to prepare a report which will be published in line with statutory deadlines.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 18/03/2024 17:34:31 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1695813

	registered interest
	date	13/03/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Civil Proceedings
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people are waiting for their civil case to be heard by claim type.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	18435
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/03/2024 answer text <p>I refer the honourable Member for Stockton North to the answer I gave on 19 February 2024 to PQ <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-02-06/13277" target="_blank">13277</a> and the answer I gave on the 23 January 2024 to PQ <a href="https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-01-15/9675" target="_blank">9675</a> in relation to the steps being taken to improve timeliness in civil courts.</p><p>Due to the nature of Civil claims, data relating to the number of people awaiting hearing is not held centrally. The time to hearing in relation to the small proportion of civil claims which are defended and proceed to trial is published quarterly: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-justice-statistics-quarterly" target="_blank">Civil justice statistics quarterly - GOV.UK.</a></p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer grouped question UIN 18431 18432 question first answered 18/03/2024 17:07:24 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1695338

	registered interest
	date	12/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Offshore Industry: Helicopters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many Sikorsky-92 model helicopters have been licensed to operate in the UK offshore energy sector in each year since 2013.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	18136
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2024 answer text <p>As of 1 March 2024, there are 26 Sikorsky-92 aircraft licensed to operate in the UK oil and gas offshore sector, with their status being either ‘in service’ or ‘in storage’. Data for previous years has been taken as a snapshot as at 1 March for consistency: 29 (2023), 32 (2022), 29 (2021), 37 (2020), 36 (2019), 38 (2018), 43 (2017), 35 (2016), 32 (2015), 22 (2014) and 17 (2013).</p> answering member constituency South Cambridgeshire answering member printed Anthony Browne question first answered 15/03/2024 13:05:12 answering member 4801 label Biography information for Anthony Browne
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693283

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Families: Social Workers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to tackle shortages in family social workers.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16733
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/03/2024 answer text <p>Social workers play a valuable role in supporting the most vulnerable in society and the department is committed to ensuring there is an excellent child and family social worker for everyone who needs one. The department recognises the ongoing challenge facing local authorities across the country in recruiting and retaining child and family social workers, with reasons for social workers leaving the profession varied and complex.</p><p>On 2 February 2023, the department published the care reform strategy, ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love’, which set out proposals to help stabilise the workforce. This includes supporting the recruitment of up to 461 social worker apprentices, a new Early Career Framework that will set out the development plans for a social worker’s first five years, proposals to reduce the overreliance on agency social workers, and setting up a National Workload Action Group to tackle unnecessary workload drivers which keep social workers away from direct time with children and families.</p><p>Every year, through the department’s fast track and development programmes, the department trains an average of 800 new social workers and provides professional development for around 4,000 others.</p><p>The number of full time equivalent child and family social workers in post at 30 September 2023 was 33,100. This is the highest figure we've seen since gathering this data. The statistics show that the department’s £50 million average yearly investment over this Spending Review on recruitment and training child and family social workers, alongside the hard work of local authorities is generating positive results.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 14/03/2024 11:48:15 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693288

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Child rearing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve the accessibility of evidence-based parenting support for parents and families residing in local authority areas that do not offer Family Hubs.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16734
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme aims to improve access to services for parents and families with children 0-19 or up to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities. It provides funding for parenting support as part of the Start for Life offer to be used on evidence-based programmes alongside peer support and community outreach activities.</p><p>The department has selected 75 local authorities based on levels of disadvantage. The department would like to see Family Hubs open across the country. The departments initial focus is on delivering well in the local areas that it is currently working with and building a model and evidence base. The department can then look to expand further in the future.</p><p>The published programme guide sets out requirements for local authorities to invest in evidence-based programmes with encouragement to select those that feature in published guidance, which have been rigorously evaluated and demonstrated impact.</p><p>The programme guide can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme-local-authority-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme-local-authority-guide</a>. The published guidance is available at: <a href="https://guidebook.eif.org.uk/programme/incredible-years-preschool" target="_blank">https://guidebook.eif.org.uk/programme/incredible-years-preschool</a>.</p><p>The department is working with the local authorities selected for the programme to assess delivery of all funded services in Family Hubs, and evidence-based parenting programmes are included as part of this. A comprehensive external evaluation of the parenting support offer has been commissioned and is due to report in late 2025. This evaluation will explore how well different parenting programmes have been implemented into the Family Hubs model. It will include a quasi-experimental impact evaluation that will assess the outcomes for families and an assessment of the value for money offered by the programme as a whole.</p><p>The department is currently considering options for widening access to parenting support through Family Hubs and as such undertaking assessments of the effectiveness and value for money of evidence-based parenting programmes, as well as other forms of support for parents. As part of this work to inform future fiscal events, the department considers policies from across the world, including Australia, to inform departmental thinking. This scoping work also includes engaging with the Social Mobility Commission following their recent report into family and parenting programmes.</p><p>The department is also investing over £17 million on the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) in order to improve the language skills of reception age children who need it most following the pandemic. This evidence-based programme targets children needing extra support with their speech and language development and is proven to help them make four months of additional progress, and seven months for those on free school meals. Over 500,000 children have had their language screened, with 160,000 reception age children having received extra support with their speech and language development from this proven programme.</p><p>Alongside investing in parenting support and the NELI programme, the department has also launched a national media campaign ‘Little Moments Together’ to encourage parents to chat, play and read with their pre-school children. The campaign, run jointly with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, provides evidence-based advice for parents on the NHS Better Health Start for Life website, and support from national partners on activities for parents. Little Moments Together is based on long-standing evidence on the importance of the home learning environment to providing children the best start to life. The Better Health Start for Life website can be found at: <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/early-learning-development/" target="_blank">https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/early-learning-development/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 16736 16738 16739 question first answered 22/03/2024 11:26:45 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693289

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Family Hubs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of expanding Family Hubs to all local authorities in England.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16735
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>Family Hubs are a one stop shop for families to make it easier for them to get the help they need. The government would like to see Family Hubs across the country. The department has selected 75 local authorities based on levels of disadvantage to target the areas with the highest levels of deprivation and disproportionately poor health and educational outcomes. It is crucial that the department focuses on delivering fairly in these 75 local authorities already committed to and building the evidence base. The department has appointed Ecorys, Sheffield Hallam University and Ipsos to assess the family hubs aspect of the ‘Family Hubs and Start for Life’ programme. The newly commissioned evaluation will explore how the programme is being implemented across local authorities, where improvements can be made, and how it offers value-for-money. The department expects to publish the findings of the evaluation in late 2025.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 11/03/2024 16:19:53 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693290

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Child rearing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made a comparative assessment of the effectiveness of (a) evidence-based parenting programmes and (b) other interventions to support parents.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16736
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme aims to improve access to services for parents and families with children 0-19 or up to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities. It provides funding for parenting support as part of the Start for Life offer to be used on evidence-based programmes alongside peer support and community outreach activities.</p><p>The department has selected 75 local authorities based on levels of disadvantage. The department would like to see Family Hubs open across the country. The departments initial focus is on delivering well in the local areas that it is currently working with and building a model and evidence base. The department can then look to expand further in the future.</p><p>The published programme guide sets out requirements for local authorities to invest in evidence-based programmes with encouragement to select those that feature in published guidance, which have been rigorously evaluated and demonstrated impact.</p><p>The programme guide can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme-local-authority-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme-local-authority-guide</a>. The published guidance is available at: <a href="https://guidebook.eif.org.uk/programme/incredible-years-preschool" target="_blank">https://guidebook.eif.org.uk/programme/incredible-years-preschool</a>.</p><p>The department is working with the local authorities selected for the programme to assess delivery of all funded services in Family Hubs, and evidence-based parenting programmes are included as part of this. A comprehensive external evaluation of the parenting support offer has been commissioned and is due to report in late 2025. This evaluation will explore how well different parenting programmes have been implemented into the Family Hubs model. It will include a quasi-experimental impact evaluation that will assess the outcomes for families and an assessment of the value for money offered by the programme as a whole.</p><p>The department is currently considering options for widening access to parenting support through Family Hubs and as such undertaking assessments of the effectiveness and value for money of evidence-based parenting programmes, as well as other forms of support for parents. As part of this work to inform future fiscal events, the department considers policies from across the world, including Australia, to inform departmental thinking. This scoping work also includes engaging with the Social Mobility Commission following their recent report into family and parenting programmes.</p><p>The department is also investing over £17 million on the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) in order to improve the language skills of reception age children who need it most following the pandemic. This evidence-based programme targets children needing extra support with their speech and language development and is proven to help them make four months of additional progress, and seven months for those on free school meals. Over 500,000 children have had their language screened, with 160,000 reception age children having received extra support with their speech and language development from this proven programme.</p><p>Alongside investing in parenting support and the NELI programme, the department has also launched a national media campaign ‘Little Moments Together’ to encourage parents to chat, play and read with their pre-school children. The campaign, run jointly with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, provides evidence-based advice for parents on the NHS Better Health Start for Life website, and support from national partners on activities for parents. Little Moments Together is based on long-standing evidence on the importance of the home learning environment to providing children the best start to life. The Better Health Start for Life website can be found at: <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/early-learning-development/" target="_blank">https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/early-learning-development/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 16734 16738 16739 question first answered 22/03/2024 11:26:45 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693292

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Child rearing
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference the Social Mobility Commission's publication entitled Family and parenting programmes: rapid evidence assessment, published in October 2023, what assessment her Department has made of the role of evidence-based parenting programmes in ensuring value for money from expenditure on parenting support.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16738
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme aims to improve access to services for parents and families with children 0-19 or up to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities. It provides funding for parenting support as part of the Start for Life offer to be used on evidence-based programmes alongside peer support and community outreach activities.</p><p>The department has selected 75 local authorities based on levels of disadvantage. The department would like to see Family Hubs open across the country. The departments initial focus is on delivering well in the local areas that it is currently working with and building a model and evidence base. The department can then look to expand further in the future.</p><p>The published programme guide sets out requirements for local authorities to invest in evidence-based programmes with encouragement to select those that feature in published guidance, which have been rigorously evaluated and demonstrated impact.</p><p>The programme guide can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme-local-authority-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme-local-authority-guide</a>. The published guidance is available at: <a href="https://guidebook.eif.org.uk/programme/incredible-years-preschool" target="_blank">https://guidebook.eif.org.uk/programme/incredible-years-preschool</a>.</p><p>The department is working with the local authorities selected for the programme to assess delivery of all funded services in Family Hubs, and evidence-based parenting programmes are included as part of this. A comprehensive external evaluation of the parenting support offer has been commissioned and is due to report in late 2025. This evaluation will explore how well different parenting programmes have been implemented into the Family Hubs model. It will include a quasi-experimental impact evaluation that will assess the outcomes for families and an assessment of the value for money offered by the programme as a whole.</p><p>The department is currently considering options for widening access to parenting support through Family Hubs and as such undertaking assessments of the effectiveness and value for money of evidence-based parenting programmes, as well as other forms of support for parents. As part of this work to inform future fiscal events, the department considers policies from across the world, including Australia, to inform departmental thinking. This scoping work also includes engaging with the Social Mobility Commission following their recent report into family and parenting programmes.</p><p>The department is also investing over £17 million on the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) in order to improve the language skills of reception age children who need it most following the pandemic. This evidence-based programme targets children needing extra support with their speech and language development and is proven to help them make four months of additional progress, and seven months for those on free school meals. Over 500,000 children have had their language screened, with 160,000 reception age children having received extra support with their speech and language development from this proven programme.</p><p>Alongside investing in parenting support and the NELI programme, the department has also launched a national media campaign ‘Little Moments Together’ to encourage parents to chat, play and read with their pre-school children. The campaign, run jointly with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, provides evidence-based advice for parents on the NHS Better Health Start for Life website, and support from national partners on activities for parents. Little Moments Together is based on long-standing evidence on the importance of the home learning environment to providing children the best start to life. The Better Health Start for Life website can be found at: <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/early-learning-development/" target="_blank">https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/early-learning-development/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 16734 16736 16739 question first answered 22/03/2024 11:26:45 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693293

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Child rearing: Finance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of funding a digital roll out of evidence-based parenting programmes similar to the scheme announced by the Australian Federal Government in 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16739
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/03/2024 answer text <p>The Family Hubs and Start for Life programme aims to improve access to services for parents and families with children 0-19 or up to 25 for those with special educational needs and disabilities. It provides funding for parenting support as part of the Start for Life offer to be used on evidence-based programmes alongside peer support and community outreach activities.</p><p>The department has selected 75 local authorities based on levels of disadvantage. The department would like to see Family Hubs open across the country. The departments initial focus is on delivering well in the local areas that it is currently working with and building a model and evidence base. The department can then look to expand further in the future.</p><p>The published programme guide sets out requirements for local authorities to invest in evidence-based programmes with encouragement to select those that feature in published guidance, which have been rigorously evaluated and demonstrated impact.</p><p>The programme guide can be found at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme-local-authority-guide" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-hubs-and-start-for-life-programme-local-authority-guide</a>. The published guidance is available at: <a href="https://guidebook.eif.org.uk/programme/incredible-years-preschool" target="_blank">https://guidebook.eif.org.uk/programme/incredible-years-preschool</a>.</p><p>The department is working with the local authorities selected for the programme to assess delivery of all funded services in Family Hubs, and evidence-based parenting programmes are included as part of this. A comprehensive external evaluation of the parenting support offer has been commissioned and is due to report in late 2025. This evaluation will explore how well different parenting programmes have been implemented into the Family Hubs model. It will include a quasi-experimental impact evaluation that will assess the outcomes for families and an assessment of the value for money offered by the programme as a whole.</p><p>The department is currently considering options for widening access to parenting support through Family Hubs and as such undertaking assessments of the effectiveness and value for money of evidence-based parenting programmes, as well as other forms of support for parents. As part of this work to inform future fiscal events, the department considers policies from across the world, including Australia, to inform departmental thinking. This scoping work also includes engaging with the Social Mobility Commission following their recent report into family and parenting programmes.</p><p>The department is also investing over £17 million on the Nuffield Early Language Intervention (NELI) in order to improve the language skills of reception age children who need it most following the pandemic. This evidence-based programme targets children needing extra support with their speech and language development and is proven to help them make four months of additional progress, and seven months for those on free school meals. Over 500,000 children have had their language screened, with 160,000 reception age children having received extra support with their speech and language development from this proven programme.</p><p>Alongside investing in parenting support and the NELI programme, the department has also launched a national media campaign ‘Little Moments Together’ to encourage parents to chat, play and read with their pre-school children. The campaign, run jointly with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, provides evidence-based advice for parents on the NHS Better Health Start for Life website, and support from national partners on activities for parents. Little Moments Together is based on long-standing evidence on the importance of the home learning environment to providing children the best start to life. The Better Health Start for Life website can be found at: <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/early-learning-development/" target="_blank">https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/early-learning-development/</a>.</p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston grouped question UIN 16734 16736 16738 question first answered 22/03/2024 11:26:45 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693294

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Parents
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of parenting programmes on (a) levels of expenditure associated with (i) child and adult mental health and (ii) youth anti-social behaviour and (b) the proportion of parents able to return to the workplace as a result of a reduction in school refusal rates.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16740
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/03/2024 answer text <p>The department is clear that parents should do everything they can to ensure that their child is in school every day. Regular school attendance is vital for children’s attainment, mental wellbeing and long-term development. It is crucial that the department has a system of support in place to ensure every child attends school every day, ready to learn and thrive.</p><p>The government’s ‘Working Together to Improve School Attendance’ guidance, which will become statutory ahead of the next school year, includes a core set of functions that local authority attendance support staff, whether titled education welfare officers, attendance officers or early help practitioners, are expected to provide free of charge to all schools and funded centrally through the Central Schools Service Block and Supporting Families Grant. Some early adopters have reported benefits from integrating attendance into other services, and providing better, more joined up whole family support, that has the potential to reduce demand for higher cost crisis services over time.</p><p>The department’s attendance mentors pilot sees mentors supporting a group of persistently absent pupils and their families, on a one-to-one basis, to help identify and address their barriers to education. The department has had positive feedback from parents, pupils and schools who have engaged with the attendance mentors programme and have started to see some promising impact data. The department has recently announced an additional investment of £15 million to expand mentoring into ten new areas over the next three years.</p><p>The government’s Supporting Families programme continues to work with families where attendance issues are a significant concern. ‘Getting a good education’ is a headline indicator in the national Supporting Families Outcomes Framework, which requires sustained good attendance for all children in the family, across two consecutive school terms. It is important that those identifying attendance issues begin to explore and identify any issues which may be behind the attendance problems, including any needs and circumstances in the wider family as part of Early Help Assessment processes.</p><p>The department’s reforms are starting to make a difference. There were 440,000 fewer pupils persistently absent or not attending in 2022/23 than in the year before. Overall absence during the 2023/24 autumn term was 6.8%, down from 7.5% in the 2022/23 autumn term.</p><p>Alongside this, the department is currently considering options for widening access to parenting support through family hubs and is undertaking assessments of the effectiveness and value for money of evidence-based parenting programmes, as well as other forms of support for parents. As part of this work to inform future fiscal events, the department will consider the downstream economic impacts of parenting programmes.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Wantage answering member printed David Johnston question first answered 28/03/2024 17:31:21 answering member 4761 label Biography information for David Johnston
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693303

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Offences against Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will consider the potential merits of implementing a method for members of the public to report directly and anonymously suspected child exploitation.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16749
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>Since 2019, The Home Office has provided £3.9m to the Children’s Society’s Prevention Programme, which drives targeted action to respond to exploitation. The programme has reached over 56,000 people and works with 35 police force areas on the #LookCloser campaign delivered in partnership between The Children’s Society, the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) and the British Transport Police (BTP). The #LookCloser campaign’s focus is on improving public and business sector awareness of exploitation and abuse, and everyone’s role in spotting and reporting concerns.</p><p>The Government is also acting quickly to implement mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse in England, which introduces a new legal requirement for those in roles with responsibility for children to speak out when a child is being sexually abused. Following the conclusion of a call for evidence over the Summer, and a public consultation, the Government announced it will introduce mandatory reporting via amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill. The Government has listened to the voices of victims and survivors and will deliver deep-rooted change to ensure children are never again so badly let down by the very institutions that should have protected them.</p><p>If anyone has any concerns that a child is being exploited, the government strongly encourages them to report those concerns to the police or to contact the children’s social care team at their local council. Members of the public can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, NSPCC Helpline or ChildLine to discuss their concerns and get confidential advice.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris grouped question UIN 16750 question first answered 11/03/2024 12:57:15 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693304

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	Offences against Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps members of the public can take to report suspected cases of child exploitation.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16750
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>Since 2019, The Home Office has provided £3.9m to the Children’s Society’s Prevention Programme, which drives targeted action to respond to exploitation. The programme has reached over 56,000 people and works with 35 police force areas on the #LookCloser campaign delivered in partnership between The Children’s Society, the National County Lines Coordination Centre (NCLCC) and the British Transport Police (BTP). The #LookCloser campaign’s focus is on improving public and business sector awareness of exploitation and abuse, and everyone’s role in spotting and reporting concerns.</p><p>The Government is also acting quickly to implement mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse in England, which introduces a new legal requirement for those in roles with responsibility for children to speak out when a child is being sexually abused. Following the conclusion of a call for evidence over the Summer, and a public consultation, the Government announced it will introduce mandatory reporting via amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill. The Government has listened to the voices of victims and survivors and will deliver deep-rooted change to ensure children are never again so badly let down by the very institutions that should have protected them.</p><p>If anyone has any concerns that a child is being exploited, the government strongly encourages them to report those concerns to the police or to contact the children’s social care team at their local council. Members of the public can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, NSPCC Helpline or ChildLine to discuss their concerns and get confidential advice.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris grouped question UIN 16749 question first answered 11/03/2024 12:57:15 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693307

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	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	Dental Services: Staff
	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 she has made of the potential merits of allowing dental therapists to carry out some minor dental procedures.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16753
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>From August to September 2023, we consulted on changes to the Human Medicines Regulations, which will enable dental therapists and dental hygienists to supply and administer some medicines without the need for a prescription from a dentist, allowing therapists and hygienists to work to their full scope of practice. We will respond shortly to the consultation on the proposals. Furthermore, NHS England’s January 2023 guidance clarified that dental therapists and dental hygienists can open and close National Health Service courses of treatment and provide direct access to NHS care, where that care is within the General Dental Council scope of practice, provided that they are qualified, competent, and indemnified to do so.</p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 12/03/2024 13:35:30 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693309

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	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	Fluoride: Drinking Water
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she plans to re-examine the use of fluoridisation of water supplies.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16754
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>Under new legislation, we have made it simpler to start new water fluoridation schemes. Our plan to recover and reform dentistry included a long-term ambition to systematically bring water fluoridation to more of the country, as a safe and effective intervention, with a particular focus on the most deprived areas.</p><p>As a first step, we will consult on expanding existing water fluoridation in the North East. We will begin consultation early this year. My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care continues to have a duty to monitor the effects of the water fluoridation schemes every four years, with the next report due in 2026.</p> answering member constituency South Northamptonshire answering member printed Andrea Leadsom question first answered 12/03/2024 13:40:35 answering member 4117 label Biography information for Andrea Leadsom
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693488

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
	answering dept id	215
	answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
	answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
	hansard heading	Offshore Industry: Helicopters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, if she will have discussions with (a) ministerial colleagues in the Department for Transport, (b) operators, (c) the offshore oil and gas industry and (d) trade unions on the safety of offshore helicopter transport operations.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16763
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2024 answer text <p>My Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State meets regularly with her ministerial colleagues and other stakeholders, including the offshore oil and gas trade association, Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), to discuss a wide range of subjects.</p><p> </p><p>Officials also meet regularly with OEUK, who are working closely on offshore safety issues with helicopter operators, oil and gas operators and contractors, offshore trade unions, the pilots’ union BALPA, the relevant regulators (Health and Safety Executive and the Civil Aviation Authority) and trade associations.</p> answering member constituency Beverley and Holderness answering member printed Graham Stuart question first answered 07/03/2024 13:43:26 answering member 1482 label Biography information for Graham Stuart
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693489

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
	answering dept id	215
	answering dept short name	Energy Security and Net Zero
	answering dept sort name	Energy Security and Net Zero
	hansard heading	Offshore Industry: Helicopters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what recent discussions she has had with the Department for Transport on the regulation of helicopter transport services for offshore oil and gas workers.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16764
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/03/2024 answer text <p>The regulation of helicopter transport services for offshore oil and gas workers is a matter for other bodies, such as the Civil Aviation Authority. Officials are in regular contact with Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), which engages directly on this issue on behalf of the offshore oil and gas sector with relevant bodies such as the Health and Safety Executive, the Civil Aviation Authority, helicopter operators, oil and gas operators and contractors, offshore trade unions, and the pilots’ union BALPA</p> answering member constituency Beverley and Holderness answering member printed Graham Stuart question first answered 07/03/2024 13:43:37 answering member 1482 label Biography information for Graham Stuart
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693490

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	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	Offshore Industry: Helicopters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has received recent representations from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers on safety risks in the offshore helicopter supply chain.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16765
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>The responsibility for safety risks in the offshore helicopter supply chain lies with the Civil Aviation Authority. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is not aware that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has received recent representations from the International Association of Oil and Gas Producers on this matter.</p> answering member constituency Blackpool North and Cleveleys answering member printed Paul Maynard question first answered 12/03/2024 14:00:10 answering member 3926 label Biography information for Paul Maynard
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693491

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Helicopters: North Sea
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made a recent assessment of the (a) resilience and (b) safety of helicopter transport operations in the North Sea.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16766
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring that North Sea helicopter flying is as safe as possible. In 2014, the CAA published a comprehensive review of the safety of offshore helicopter operations. The Review examined the risks to helicopter operations to support the oil and gas industries in and around the North Sea. It identified a wide range of opportunities to improve the safety of those operations and to increase the chances of passengers and crew surviving an accident.</p><p> </p><p>As the UK’s aviation safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) continues to monitor all aspects of the operations of offshore helicopter companies and any risks to safe operation through its ongoing programme of safety oversight - which includes implementation of the review findings and monitoring data from operators.</p><p><br> It is the role of the CAA as the independent regulator to collect safety data, it is not for the Department to do so.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Cambridgeshire answering member printed Anthony Browne grouped question UIN 16767 question first answered 12/03/2024 14:47:35 answering member 4801 label Biography information for Anthony Browne
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693492

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Offshore Industry: Helicopters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to (a) request data from operators of helicopter transport services in the offshore oil and gas sector on their annual flying hours between 2018 and 4 March 2024 and (b) place copies of that information in the Library.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16767
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2024 answer text <p>The Government is committed to ensuring that North Sea helicopter flying is as safe as possible. In 2014, the CAA published a comprehensive review of the safety of offshore helicopter operations. The Review examined the risks to helicopter operations to support the oil and gas industries in and around the North Sea. It identified a wide range of opportunities to improve the safety of those operations and to increase the chances of passengers and crew surviving an accident.</p><p> </p><p>As the UK’s aviation safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) continues to monitor all aspects of the operations of offshore helicopter companies and any risks to safe operation through its ongoing programme of safety oversight - which includes implementation of the review findings and monitoring data from operators.</p><p><br> It is the role of the CAA as the independent regulator to collect safety data, it is not for the Department to do so.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Cambridgeshire answering member printed Anthony Browne grouped question UIN 16766 question first answered 12/03/2024 14:47:35 answering member 4801 label Biography information for Anthony Browne
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693493

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Offshore Industry: Helicopters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the global supply chain on the (a) repair and (b) maintenance of helicopter models licensed to provide public transport in the offshore oil and gas industry.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16768
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>Spares and material shortages are not considered a direct safety issue to the operation of the aircraft but may reduce aircraft availability and increase maintenance activity to maintain operational flying of available aircraft. It is recommended that all operators carry out a safety case for their operation within their Safety Management System to identify specific risks and mitigations</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Cambridgeshire answering member printed Anthony Browne question first answered 11/03/2024 15:37:41 answering member 4801 label Biography information for Anthony Browne
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693494

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Offshore Industry: Helicopters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will list the (a) models and (b) number of helicopters licensed by the Civil Aviation Authority to transport offshore oil and gas workers to and from installations in the North Sea.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16769
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>In 2017 the Airbus EC 175 entered UK service in support of Oil and Gas offshore operations, and as of 1 March 2024, there are 19 of these operating in the sector. Since that date no new aircraft types have entered service, nor has the CAA received applications from manufacturers to certify a new type. The average age of sector UK fleet is 9.6 years.</p> answering member constituency South Cambridgeshire answering member printed Anthony Browne grouped question UIN 16770 16771 question first answered 11/03/2024 15:40:05 answering member 4801 label Biography information for Anthony Browne
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693495

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Offshore Industry: Helicopters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on the average age of the helicopter transport fleet in the offshore oil and gas sector.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16770
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>In 2017 the Airbus EC 175 entered UK service in support of Oil and Gas offshore operations, and as of 1 March 2024, there are 19 of these operating in the sector. Since that date no new aircraft types have entered service, nor has the CAA received applications from manufacturers to certify a new type. The average age of sector UK fleet is 9.6 years.</p> answering member constituency South Cambridgeshire answering member printed Anthony Browne grouped question UIN 16769 16771 question first answered 11/03/2024 15:40:05 answering member 4801 label Biography information for Anthony Browne
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1693496

	registered interest
	date	04/03/2024
	answering body	Department for Transport
	answering dept id	27
	answering dept short name	Transport
	answering dept sort name	Transport
	hansard heading	Offshore Industry: Helicopters
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many new helicopter models were licenced by the Civil Aviation Authority for service in the North Sea oil and gas industry between 2016 and 4 March 2024; and how many applications the Civil Aviation Authority received from helicopter manufacturers in that period.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	16771
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/03/2024 answer text <p>In 2017 the Airbus EC 175 entered UK service in support of Oil and Gas offshore operations, and as of 1 March 2024, there are 19 of these operating in the sector. Since that date no new aircraft types have entered service, nor has the CAA received applications from manufacturers to certify a new type. The average age of sector UK fleet is 9.6 years.</p> answering member constituency South Cambridgeshire answering member printed Anthony Browne grouped question UIN 16769 16770 question first answered 11/03/2024 15:40:05 answering member 4801 label Biography information for Anthony Browne
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1692031

	registered interest
	date	27/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Discipline
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to commence section 93A of the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	15886
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/03/2024 answer text <p>The department will commence Section 93a of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, making recording and reporting incidents of reasonable force a legal duty. This will be enacted to coincide with the publication of updates to the ‘Use of reasonable force’ guidance, originally published in 2013, to ensure that schools have adequate advice on how they should be recording and reporting any incidents where reasonable force, including restrictive interventions, is used.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 01/03/2024 13:04:29 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1691642

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Domestic Abuse: Family Proceedings
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) barristers, (b) solicitors and (c) CILEX practitioners have registered for work under the Cross Examination Prohibition Scheme in each of the last 12 months.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	15623
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/02/2024 answer text <p>We have assumed that both questions refer to the Qualified Legal Representative (QLR) scheme which was introduced in July 2022 and follows the Government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021) which prohibited unrepresented perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims or alleged victims in family and civil proceedings, and vice versa. The prohibition ensures that vulnerable victims and witnesses are not traumatised by being cross-examined directly by their alleged perpetrator.</p><p> </p><p>Barristers, solicitors, and CILEX practitioners can register to undertake work as part of the QLR scheme at GOV.UK: <a href="https://register-qualified-legal-representative.form.service.justice.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Register to be a qualified legal representative (justice.gov.uk)</a>. The statutory guidance sets out the requirement for QLRs to have undertaken advocacy and vulnerable witness training, or to have made a commitment to attend such training within six months of having registered on the court list of qualified legal representatives: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63109a5fd3bf7f73a121c8b2/final-statutory-guidance-role-of-the-qualified-legal-representative.pdf" target="_blank">Statutory Guidance for the Qualified Legal Representative Scheme</a>. The Government encourages professionals to take up this important work to assist in both the family and civil courts.</p><p> </p><p>As of 27 February 2024, in total, there were 363 QLRs registered for family cases, and 78 QLRs registered for civil cases. We do not hold monthly data on registrations, or central data on how many QLRs have completed or applied for training, which they are able to access from a range of external providers. The QLR register does not record whether practitioners are barristers, solicitors, or CILEX practitioners. We do not collect data on the number of QLRs that have presented cases under the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris grouped question UIN 15624 question first answered 29/02/2024 16:45:48 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1691643

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Domestic Abuse: Family Proceedings
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of (a) barristers, (b) solicitors and (c) CILEX practitioners have (i) applied for and (ii) completed training to become a qualified legal representative under the Cross Examination Prohibition Scheme since July 2022; and whether he has made an estimate of the number these individuals that have presented cases under the scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	15624
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/02/2024 answer text <p>We have assumed that both questions refer to the Qualified Legal Representative (QLR) scheme which was introduced in July 2022 and follows the Government’s Domestic Abuse Act (2021) which prohibited unrepresented perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of abuse from cross-examining their victims or alleged victims in family and civil proceedings, and vice versa. The prohibition ensures that vulnerable victims and witnesses are not traumatised by being cross-examined directly by their alleged perpetrator.</p><p> </p><p>Barristers, solicitors, and CILEX practitioners can register to undertake work as part of the QLR scheme at GOV.UK: <a href="https://register-qualified-legal-representative.form.service.justice.gov.uk/" target="_blank">Register to be a qualified legal representative (justice.gov.uk)</a>. The statutory guidance sets out the requirement for QLRs to have undertaken advocacy and vulnerable witness training, or to have made a commitment to attend such training within six months of having registered on the court list of qualified legal representatives: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63109a5fd3bf7f73a121c8b2/final-statutory-guidance-role-of-the-qualified-legal-representative.pdf" target="_blank">Statutory Guidance for the Qualified Legal Representative Scheme</a>. The Government encourages professionals to take up this important work to assist in both the family and civil courts.</p><p> </p><p>As of 27 February 2024, in total, there were 363 QLRs registered for family cases, and 78 QLRs registered for civil cases. We do not hold monthly data on registrations, or central data on how many QLRs have completed or applied for training, which they are able to access from a range of external providers. The QLR register does not record whether practitioners are barristers, solicitors, or CILEX practitioners. We do not collect data on the number of QLRs that have presented cases under the scheme.</p> answering member constituency Newbury answering member printed Laura Farris grouped question UIN 15623 question first answered 29/02/2024 16:45:48 answering member 4826 label Biography information for Laura Farris
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1691653

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Business and Trade
	answering dept id	214
	answering dept short name	Business and Trade
	answering dept sort name	Business and Trade
	hansard heading	Freight: Insolvency
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how many road haulage businesses trading under SIC code 49410 entered insolvency in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	15625
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/02/2024 answer text <p>Estimated numbers of companies with the SIC code 49410 that entered insolvency in the UK in each of the last five calendar years are presented in the table below.</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Calendar Year</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Companies entering insolvency</strong> (SIC code 49410 – Freight Transport by Road)</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2019</p></td><td><p>280</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2020</p></td><td><p>189</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2021</p></td><td><p>265</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2022</p></td><td><p>408</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2023</p></td><td><p>494</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p> answering member constituency Thirsk and Malton answering member printed Kevin Hollinrake question first answered 29/02/2024 13:21:42 answering member 4474 label Biography information for Kevin Hollinrake
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1691654

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2024
	answering body	Treasury
	answering dept id	14
	answering dept short name	Treasury
	answering dept sort name	Treasury
	hansard heading	Roads: Freight
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment has he made of the potential merits of the recommendation of the Road Haulage Association to extend full expensing to the cost of leased vehicles, published on 26 January 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	15626
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/02/2024 answer text <p>At the Autumn Statement 2023, the government confirmed it will keep this proposal under consideration and will be publishing draft legislation for a period of technical consultation in due course.</p><p> </p><p>The government will continue to work with industry on this important issue, through the established working group.</p> answering member constituency Mid Worcestershire answering member printed Nigel Huddleston question first answered 29/02/2024 15:17:13 answering member 4407 label Biography information for Nigel Huddleston
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1691726

	registered interest
	date	26/02/2024
	answering body	Department for Education
	answering dept id	60
	answering dept short name	Education
	answering dept sort name	Education
	hansard heading	Schools: Discipline
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her planned timetable is to respond to her Department's consultation entitled Use of reasonable force and restrictive practices in schools which closed on 11 May 2023.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	15627
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/02/2024 answer text <p>The government recognises that the misuse of reasonable force and restrictive interventions can have a significant and long-lasting effect on the pupils, staff members and parents involved, as well as the wider classroom, which can potentially hinder the creation of a calm, safe and supportive school environment. The government is committed to minimising the use of reasonable force and restrictive interventions in all schools in England, including special schools and alternative provision.</p><p> </p><p>This commitment includes updating the ‘Use of reasonable force’ guidance, published in 2013, to provide advice for schools on creating environments that minimise the use of reasonable force and restrictive interventions, the powers of school staff to use reasonable force and restrictive interventions safely, appropriately and within the law, and making recording and reporting incidents of reasonable force a legal duty.</p><p> </p><p>Updates to the ‘Use of reasonable force’ guidance will be informed by the call for evidence which closed on 11 May 2023, as well as independent research into the use of reasonable force, physical restraint and other restrictive practices in special schools and alternative provision settings, stakeholder engagement, and data collection through departmental omnibus surveys. The department is considering all responses to the call for evidence as part of its work before the ‘Use of reasonable force’ guidance goes out for public consultation later this year.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Hampshire answering member printed Damian Hinds question first answered 29/02/2024 12:38:57 answering member 3969 label Biography information for Damian Hinds
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1690406

	registered interest
	date	20/02/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme: Solicitors
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what modelling his Department is undertaking to estimate the number of criminal legal aid duty solicitors that will be working over the next five years.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	14860
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2024 answer text <p>The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) frequently reviews market capacity, including the number of duty solicitors on each local duty scheme, to make sure there is adequate access to legal aid services throughout England and Wales. The LAA moves quickly, where issues arise, taking operational actions within its control to secure additional provision and to ensure continuity of legal aid services.</p><p>We publish data on numbers, new joiners, returners, and leavers <a href="https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNjAxNGY2MDUtODU4Yi00NzE4LTgyNzgtMDdjYjAxMDAyZjIyIiwidCI6ImM2ODc0NzI4LTcxZTYtNDFmZS1hOWUxLTJlOGMzNjc3NmFkOCIsImMiOjh9&amp;chromeless=1" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p>In responding to the Criminal Legal Aid Independent Review, we uplifted most criminal legal aid fee schemes, including the police station fee scheme, by 15%.</p><p>On 29 January, we published a consultation on proposed reforms to the police station fee scheme and the Youth Court where an additional £21.1 million per year has been allocated.</p><p>This increases spend by up to £141 million a year, taking expected criminal legal aid spend to £1.2 billion per year.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 23/02/2024 11:34:05 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1690407

	registered interest
	date	20/02/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme: Solicitors
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will have discussions with the Legal Aid Agency on the effectiveness of the duty solicitor scheme at providing duty solicitor coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year; and what data his Department holds on the number of schemes that are unable to provide this level of coverage.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	14861
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2024 answer text <p>Ministry of Justice Ministers and the Legal Aid Agency meet regularly to discuss matters pertaining to criminal legal aid, including the duty solicitor scheme.</p><p>In September 2022, we uplifted most criminal legal aid fee schemes by 15%. This includes a 15% increase to the police station scheme and the magistrates’ court scheme, which includes youth court work.</p><p>On 29 January, we published a consultation on proposed reforms to the police station fee scheme and the Youth Court where an additional £21.1 million per year has been allocated.</p><p>The increases we have implemented, alongside longer-term reforms, mean that criminal legal aid spending is expected to be up to £1.2 billion per year.</p><p>We are unaware of any duty schemes unable to provide coverage 24 hours a day, 365 days a year either on an ongoing basis or as an isolated instance.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 23/02/2024 11:35:39 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1690408

	registered interest
	date	20/02/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Criminal Proceedings: Legal Aid Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of access to legal aid in criminal cases and what criteria his Department uses to make that assessment.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	14862
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2024 answer text <p>The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is responsible for commissioning legal aid services in England and Wales. The LAA manages capacity in a number of ways. The LAA’s network of regional contract managers located throughout England and Wales provide intelligence-led information based on contact with legal aid service providers.</p><p>In addition, the LAA frequently reviews market capacity, including the number of duty solicitors on each local duty scheme, to make sure there is adequate access to legal aid services throughout England and Wales. The LAA shares information about provider capacity to support policy development via a number of fora, including via the Criminal Legal Aid Advisory Board (CLAAB).</p><p>The LAA moves quickly, where issues arise, taking operational actions within its control to secure additional provision and to ensure continuity of legal aid services.</p><p>Provision under the duty scheme is demand led based on the individual factors for each local duty scheme and the needs of local courts and police. Anyone who is arrested and interviewed by the police is offered a duty solicitor irrespective of their financial means. Effective coverage is achieved where all duty schemes have a sufficient number of duty solicitors to cover the available rota slots. The LAA has arrangements in place to ensure all duty rotas have cover 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.</p><p>Information about the number of legal aid providers contracted to provide services, as well as details of numbers of duty solicitors across all schemes, are published as part of the LAA’s statistics at: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/legal-aid-statistics-january-to-march-2023/legal-aid-statistics-england-and-wales-bulletin-jan-to-mar-2023#legal-aid-providers" target="_blank">Legal aid statistics England and Wales bulletin Jan to Mar 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>. These statistics are used by the LAA as management information to monitor the availability of legal aid services over time, in different areas of law and different regions of England and Wales.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 23/02/2024 11:36:45 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham

1690471

	registered interest
	date	20/02/2024
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Legal Aid Scheme
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the judgment in the case of the Law Society of England and Wales v The Lord Chancellor of 31 January 2024.
	tabling member constituency	Stockton North
	tabling member printed	Alex Cunningham
	uin	14863
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2024 answer text <p>While the claimants in the case being referred to were successful on specific narrow grounds, the majority of their claims were rejected by the Court. We are carefully considering the judgment and will set out further detail on our response in due course.</p><p>We recently announced a consultation that would lead to an additional £21 million being invested in the criminal legal aid solicitor profession, bringing the overall increase from 9% to 11%. We expect our existing reforms to increase spending on criminal legal aid by up to £141 million a year.</p> answering member constituency Finchley and Golders Green answering member printed Mike Freer question first answered 23/02/2024 11:37:55 answering member 4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer
	tabling member	4122 label Biography information for Alex Cunningham