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1010759

	registered interest
	date	20/11/2018
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Christianity: Middle East
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Right Honourable Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what discussions the Church Commissioners have had on maintaining the Christian community in the Middle East.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	193461
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/11/2018 answer text <p>The Church of England continues to work alongside the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem to support the Christian community in Jordan, Syria, Israel, Palestine and Lebanon. The Church also partners and engages with development and mission agencies working to support Christian communities overseas. Regular pilgrimage visits are made by parishes and dioceses of the Church of England, mainly to those holy sites that are not in conflict zones and which often involve meetings with local Christians</p><p><br>Westminster Abbey will be holding a special service on the 4th December at which His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales will attend to offer encouragement to Christians throughout the region and to celebrate the contributions they make to their communities</p><p><br>The Archbishop of Canterbury made an official visit to Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Territories in 2017, the primary purpose of which was to affirm the Christian community in the Holy Land, to identify and explore challenges relating to religious freedom and to give encouragement to St. George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem. The Archbishop also met with Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian politicians during his visit</p><p><br>During the November parliamentary recess I joined a small group of MPs on a regional visit to see for myself the challenges faced by the Christian community in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. We visited a number of projects that are funded or supported by the Anglican Church, including hospitals and schools. Speaking with the different communities gave a helpful perspective on the significant challenges to the daily lives and movements of people.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Dame Caroline Spelman question first answered 22/11/2018 16:11:52 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

453086

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2016
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Queen Elizabeth II: Anniversaries
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, what plans the Church of England has to mark the 90th birthday of Her Majesty the Queen.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	27423
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2016 answer text <p>The Church of England will mark the 90th birthday of Her Majesty with a large number of events and activities at national and local levels, including a national service of celebration at St Paul’s Cathedral. Alongside these events, the Bible Society and HOPE have released a companion book titled “The Servant Queen”, with a foreword written by Her Majesty that discusses how her faith has influenced her service of this nation over the last 90 years.</p> answering member constituency Meriden answering member printed Mrs Caroline Spelman question first answered 23/02/2016 16:28:34 answering member 312 label Biography information for Dame Caroline Spelman
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

604691

	registered interest
	date	18/10/2016
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many people were (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted of offences under the Wild Animals (Protection) Act 1996 in each police force area in England in 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	49177
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/10/2016 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of the number of people who have been charged with, and prosecuted for, offences brought by way of the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996. This information could only be obtained by examining CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p><p>Although it is not possible to identify the number of people charged with particular offences, records are held showing the overall number of offences in which a prosecution commenced in the magistrates’ courts. In 2015 there was one offence commenced under the Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 25/10/2016 09:47:22 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

385425

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2015
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Offences against Children
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what recent discussions he has had with the Director of Public Prosecutions about the performance of the Crown Prosecution Service in prosecuting child sexual abuse cases.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	4111
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2015 answer text <p>I have regular discussions with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on a wide range of criminal matters, including child sexual abuse (CSA) cases. The prosecution of CSA cases were specifically discussed at a meeting in February this year and the DPP outlined to me how the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is coordinating its response with the police to the Home Office CSA Inquiry.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>In October 2013 the CPS issued guidelines setting out a new approach to CSA cases. Steps to be taken include the use of specialist prosecutors, the provision of dedicated CPS units to manage such cases, and the application of a new approach to considering evidence in such cases. In 2014-15, the number of child abuse prosecutions rose by 2,047 to 10,045, the highest volume of cases ever. There were 74.4% convictions in 2014-15, falling slightly from 76.2% in 2013-14, but overall there was a rise in the volume of convictions in the child abuse cases to 7,469 in 2014-15 from 6,096 in 2013-14.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 30/06/2015 15:19:06 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

419023

	registered interest
	date	16/09/2015
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Social Media
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps his Department is taking to improve public understanding of the legal framework applicable to social media.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	10455
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2015 answer text <p>Judging by the number of referrals from members of the public to my office there is clearly some awareness of the legal framework applicable to social media but I have sought to increase this awareness by, for example, issuing online warnings on social media, including Twitter, in appropriate cases.</p><p>In relation to the commission of criminal offences by social media users, the Crown Prosecution Service has also issued detailed guidelines to prosecutors on handling cases involving communications sent via social media.</p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright question first answered 12/10/2015 09:21:35 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

428969

	registered interest
	date	18/11/2015
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Witnesses
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps the CPS has recently taken to improve its support for (a) child witnesses and (b) people with learning disabilities who give evidence in criminal proceedings.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	16813
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2015 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is committed to improving the ‘at court’ experience for all witnesses. The CPS works closely with the police and the voluntary sector to ensure that vulnerable witnesses such as children and people with learning disabilities are well supported through the Criminal Justice System.</p><p>Special measures such as the use of intermediaries, using screens at court and video live links help vulnerable witnesses, including children and people with learning difficulties, to give their best evidence. Recently, the CPS assisted the MoJ in recruiting an additional 105 intermediaries, who play a vital role in facilitating coherent conversations during police interviews and at court. The use of pre-recorded cross-examination has also been successfully piloted and the Lord Chancellor has committed publically to a national roll-out.</p><p>In September, following public consultation, the Director of Public Prosecutions announced the launch of new guidance for prosecutors entitled ‘Speaking to Witnesses at Court’. The aim of this guidance is to set out the role played by prosecutors at or before court in ensuring that witnesses give their best evidence. This will benefit all prosecution witnesses and will help them understand what to expect. These enhanced arrangements will be piloted over the coming months and will be rolled out nationally during 2016.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 23/11/2015 14:27:50 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

964543

	registered interest
	date	03/09/2018
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Hate Crime: Disability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps the CPS is taking to improve the rate of prosecution of people responsible for crimes against disabled people.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	169294
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2018 answer text <p>The CPS is committed to improving prosecutions of disability hate crime. It has delivered mandated training on disability hate crime for all prosecutors, introduced a network of Hate Crime Coordinators in CPS Areas and revised its disability hate crime legal guidance. The CPS is currently working with community partners to develop further training based upon the social model of disability, aimed at removing barriers for disabled people and improving access to justice.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 10/09/2018 14:24:55 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

857763

	registered interest
	date	08/03/2018
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Offences against Children: Prosecutions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps the CPS is taking to strengthen (a) cross-agency and (b) international joint working in child abuse cases.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	131664
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2018 answer text <p>The use of technology means that there are more cases of child abuse that have an international element. Recent successful prosecutions in this field have seen early engagement between the CPS and the police, followed by close collaboration with our overseas prosecutors and international organisations, particularly the National Crime Agency.</p><p> </p><p>Cases of online abuse have highlighted the importance of using expert evidence to demonstrate the true impact on victims, which then has a direct impact on sentence.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 21/03/2018 09:19:22 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

443164

	registered interest
	date	07/01/2016
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Human Trafficking: Prosecutions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps the Crown Prosecution Service is taking to improve the number of successful prosecutions for human trafficking offences.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	21543
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2016 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has issued guidance to strengthen prosecutions in support of the introduction of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. The CPS continues to deliver joint training with the police. The increased awareness and emphasis on working with the police to build stronger cases should lead to an improvement in the number of successful prosecutions.</p><br /><p>The Director of Public Prosecutionsis hosting a summit with the Heads of the Prosecution Services in the UK and the Lord Advocate for Scotland in February 2016 to launch joint commitments to provide a more robust UK response to human trafficking and slavery.</p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 13/01/2016 13:39:36 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith

101055

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Non-domestic Rates
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many small firms and shops have benefited from reductions in business rates in (a) England and (b) Crawley constituency.
	tabling member constituency	Crawley
	tabling member printed	Henry Smith
	uin	212013
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text <p>We have introduced a £1 billion business rate support package for 2014-15 including:</p><p>– a 2% cap in the Retail Price Index increase in the small business rates multiplier;</p><p>– a retail discount of £1,000 for around 300,000 shops, pubs and restaurants with rateable values below £50,000;</p><p>– a 12 month extension of small business rate relief doubling, benefitting over half a million businesses;</p><p>– a 50 per cent discount for new occupants of long-term vacant shops, and;</p><p>– allowing ratepayers to pay bills over 12 instalments.</p><p> </p><p>The Department does not collect data on a constituency basis, but the Crawley constituency lies entirely within the Crawley Borough Council boundary. Table 1 (attached) shows, where available, the estimated number of properties that will benefit from each of the reliefs introduced or extended in 2014-15 within Crawley Borough Council, as well as the amount of relief awarded. Table 2 (attached) provides the same data, but for England as a whole.</p> answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 05/11/2014 17:34:35 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins attachment 1 file name 212013 Smith - Table 1 and 2.docx title Table 1 and 2 - Business Rates
	tabling member	3960 label Biography information for Henry Smith