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1229098

	registered interest
	date	28/08/2020
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Weddings: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps he is taking to ensure the accuracy of guidance issue to people planning weddings to (a) protect the finances of those people and minimise disruption to weddings.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	81536
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/09/2020 answer text <p>Weddings are permitted in places of worship, providing certain public health criteria are met, including an advised maximum number of 30 people in attendance.</p><p>Up to date guidance for clergy on weddings and COVID-19 is provided on the Church of England website at: <a href="https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/COVID%2019%20advice%20for%20Clergy%20Conducting%20Weddings%20v5.1.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.churchofengland.org/sites/default/files/2020-08/COVID%2019%20advice%20for%20Clergy%20Conducting%20Weddings%20v5.1.pdf</a></p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 14/09/2020 16:11:52 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous previous answer version 46023 answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1196973

	registered interest
	date	19/05/2020
	answering body	Church Commissioners
	answering dept id	9
	answering dept short name	Church Commissioners
	answering dept sort name	Church Commissioners
	hansard heading	Churches: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the hon. Member for South West Bedfordshire, representing the Church Commissioners, what the Commissioners' timetable is for churches to reopen for baptisms, weddings and funerals following the covid-19 outbreak.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	902798
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/05/2020 answer text <p>The Church Commissioners do not have responsibility for setting a timetable for the reopening of church buildings for funeral services. Baptisms and weddings cannot at present be celebrated inside church buildings, and the relevant Cabinet Office and MHCLG guidance can be seen here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance#contents" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance#contents</a></p><p>Current guidance from the House of Bishops is not to conduct funeral services in church buildings because of widely expressed concerns about parishes having capacity to conduct such funerals safely, including being able to clean churches thoroughly between services to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus. This is guidance, not instruction. We are acutely aware of the anguish of those not able to celebrate significant life events such as baptisms, weddings and funerals in their parish church in the current circumstances. The House of Bishops meets regularly to review its guidance which will be updated in line with changing circumstances, and published on the Church of England website.</p> answering member constituency South West Bedfordshire answering member printed Andrew Selous question first answered 19/05/2020 17:06:18 answering member 1453 label Biography information for Andrew Selous
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1689908

	registered interest
	date	19/02/2024
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Legal Profession: Accountability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, whether she is taking steps to encourage the legal sector to engage in corporate social responsibility.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	14469
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2024 answer text <p>The Attorney General and I are champions of pro bono legal work in Government. Pro bono publico is undertaken for the public good and supports corporate social responsibility. As Solicitor General, I chair the Attorney General’s Pro Bono Committee, which meets twice annually and brings together professional representative bodies, and those from the public and the private sectors to share ideas and encourage greater cross-sector collaboration.</p> answering member constituency Witney answering member printed Robert Courts question first answered 23/02/2024 13:45:27 answering member 4589 label Biography information for Robert Courts
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1472632

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2022
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Criminal Liability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, pursuant to the Answer of 23 May 2022 to Question 5345 on Criminal Liability, for what reason the CPS does not maintain a central record of any defence employed by defendants in criminal proceedings.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	23225
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2022 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) collects data to assist in the effective management of its prosecution functions. This data is derived from structured data fields completed on individual case records held in the Case Management Information System (CMS) and reported in the Management Information System (MIS).</p><p> </p><p>Any information recorded in the CMS about the defence(s) employed by defendants would be added as ‘freetext’ which cannot be centrally collated in the MIS and would only be obtainable by manually reviewing CPS case records. Defences employed are by their nature specific to the circumstances of each individual case, so collecting related data would provide little benefit as CPS operational management information.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 01/07/2022 07:54:42 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1472634

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2022
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Road Traffic Offences: Administration of Justice
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, whether she is taking steps to improve access to justice for victims of death by driving offenders.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	23226
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2022 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) recognise that deaths caused by driving offences are particularly tragic cases and ensuring that the victim’s family is appropriately informed and supported in the aftermath is incredibly important.</p><p> </p><p>Crown Prosecutors must always adhere to the two-stage test set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors when making charging decisions in any case. This means first objectively assessing whether the evidential threshold is met, and if this aspect of the test is satisfied, going on to consider whether a prosecution is required in the public interest.</p><p> </p><p>The CPS operates a Victims’ Right to Review (VRR) Scheme which enables close relatives of a person whose death was directly caused by criminal conduct to seek a review of a CPS decision not to bring a prosecution, or to discontinue a case. This scheme has been designed to be as accessible as possible, with no obligation on a victim’s family to make specific representations relating to the CPS decision, it is sufficient to simply ask that the decision be reviewed.</p><p> </p><p>The CPS also has specific guidance and practices which deliver an enhanced standard of service to bereaved families, in recognition of the particularly difficult nature of these cases. This will include offering a meeting with the victim’s family to explain any CPS decision not to charge, and at various other stages of a case.</p><p> </p><p>Improving the experience of victims of crime is a priority for the CPS and last year it commissioned independent research to better understand what victims want and need; and to identify areas for improvement. On the 27 June, the CPS published its response to the research findings, setting out four key areas of action which will form the basis of a long-term programme of work to improve how it engages with victims.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 01/07/2022 07:52:24 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1472636

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2022
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Road Traffic Offences: Prosecutions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what assessment she has made of adequacy of recourses for the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute defendants of road death offences.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	23228
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2022 answer text <p>The CPS does not have dedicated teams that deal with road death cases. However, these cases are always dealt with carefully and sensitively by prosecutors who have the skills and experience to apply the relevant law and CPS policies.</p><p> </p><p>Crown Prosecutors must always adhere to the two-stage test set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors when making charging decisions in any case. This means first objectively assessing whether the evidential threshold is met, and if this aspect of the test is satisfied, going on to consider whether a prosecution is required in the public interest.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, CPS guidance on <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/road-traffic-charging" target="_blank">Road Traffic - Charging</a> assists prosecutors in charging cases involving fatal road traffic collisions. It outlines the charging standards and factors for consideration when prosecution decisions are taken.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 01/07/2022 07:48:51 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1472635

	registered interest
	date	22/06/2022
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Road Traffic Offences: Prosecutions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps the Crown Prosecution Service takes when deciding to prosecute defendants of road death offences.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	23227
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2022 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), in making its decision on whether or not a case should be prosecuted, will always apply the two-stage test set out in the <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/code-crown-prosecutors" target="_blank">Code for Crown Prosecutors</a> (the Code).</p><p> </p><p>The Code is issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) under section 10 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985. The Code gives guidance to prosecutors on the general principles to be applied when making decisions about prosecutions.</p><p> </p><p>The first stage (the evidential stage) requires the prosecutor to be satisfied that there is a realistic prospect of conviction on the evidence. The second stage (the public interest stage) requires the prosecutor to be satisfied that the prosecution is in the public interest. The case will not proceed unless both stages of the test are met.</p><p> </p><p>The CPS provides <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/road-traffic-charging" target="_blank">legal guidance</a> to assist prosecutors in charging cases involving fatal road traffic collisions. It outlines the charging standards and factors for consideration when prosecution decisions are taken.</p><p> </p><p>In order to ensure consistency of approach, charging decisions in all fatal collision cases are required to be approved by a Chief Crown Prosecutor (CCP), a Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor (DCCP), or a senior decision-maker nominated for the role by the CCP or DCCP.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 30/06/2022 07:59:57 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1472843

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2022
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Roads: Accidents
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Crown Prosecution Services threshold for deciding whether to prosecute road death offences.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	23706
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2022 answer text <p>The threshold for deciding whether to prosecute offences relating to fatal road traffic collisions in Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) cases is the same threshold that is used for all offences.</p><p> </p><p>The CPS, in making decisions on whether or not a case should be prosecuted, will always apply the two-stage test set out in the <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/publication/code-crown-prosecutors" target="_blank">Code for Crown Prosecutors</a> (the Code).</p><p> </p><p>The Code is issued by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) under section 10 of the Prosecution of Offences Act 1985 and gives guidance to prosecutors on the general principles to be applied when making decisions about prosecutions. It has been the subject of frequent reviews and public consultations, most recently in 2018, when the eighth edition was published.</p><p> </p><p>The first stage of the two-stage test for prosecution (the evidential stage) requires the prosecutor to be satisfied that there is a realistic prospect of conviction on the evidence. The second stage (the public interest stage) requires the prosecutor to be satisfied that the prosecution is in the public interest. The case will not proceed unless both stages of the test are met.</p><p> </p><p>The CPS guidance on <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/legal-guidance/road-traffic-charging" target="_blank">Road Traffic - Charging</a> assists prosecutors in charging cases involving fatal road traffic collisions. It outlines the charging standards and factors for consideration when prosecution decisions are taken.</p><p> </p><p>In order to ensure consistency of approach, charging decisions in all fatal collision cases are required to be approved by a Chief Crown Prosecutor (CCP), a Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor (DCCP), or a senior decision-maker nominated for the role by the CCP or DCCP.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 28/06/2022 13:33:06 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1464548

	registered interest
	date	19/05/2022
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Criminal Liability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many people the CPS has acquitted on the defence of automatism in England and Wales as of 19th May 2022.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	5345
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2022 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of any defence employed by defendants in criminal proceedings. This information could only be obtained by an examination of CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 23/05/2022 09:17:48 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

1327329

	registered interest
	date	24/05/2021
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Criminal Liability
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what proportion of criminal cases have been dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service where automatism has been used as a defence in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
	tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
	uin	6191
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/05/2021 answer text <p>The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) does not maintain a central record of any defence employed by defendants in criminal proceedings. This information could only be obtained by an examination of CPS case files, which would incur disproportionate cost.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 27/05/2021 16:42:48 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman