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227687

	registered interest
	date	17/03/2015
	answering body	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept id	26
	answering dept short name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	answering dept sort name	Business, Innovation and Skills
	hansard heading	Energy Systems Catapult: South West
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what assessment he has made of the merits of siting the new Energy Systems Catapult project in Devon, Cornwall or Somerset.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	227988
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer // answer text <p>The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.</p> answering member constituency Tunbridge Wells answering member printed Greg Clark question first answered // answering member 1578 label Biography information for Greg Clark
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

45820

	registered interest
	date	28/03/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information (a) his Department and (b) HM Tribunals Service hold on the socio-economic status of people (i) prosecuted and convicted for television licence evasion and (ii) imprisoned for non-payment of a fine for television licence evasion.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	194290
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>No published information is available. The information in the table is taken from a live case management system. As such, it is subject to change and is not checked to the level of Official Statistics. No information is available in respect of socio-economic status of those prosecuted or convicted or imprisoned for non-payment of a fine in respect of television licence evasion. The Government has said that it will examine whether television licence evasion should be decriminalised.</p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright attachment 1 file name 194289, 194290, 194291 - Bradshaw - Table.XLS title Table 1 previous answer version 4245 answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

45821

	registered interest
	date	28/03/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information (a) his Department and (b) HM Tribunals Service hold on the age of people (i) prosecuted and convicted for television licence evasion and (ii) imprisoned for non-payment of a fine for television licence evasion.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	194291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>No published information is available. The information in the table is taken from a live case management system. As such, it is subject to change and is not checked to the level of Official Statistics. No information is available in respect of socio-economic status of those prosecuted or convicted or imprisoned for non-payment of a fine in respect of television licence evasion. The Government has said that it will examine whether television licence evasion should be decriminalised.</p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright attachment 1 file name 194289, 194290, 194291 - Bradshaw - Table.XLS title Table 1 previous answer version 4250 answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

45822

	registered interest
	date	28/03/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information (a) his Department and (b) HM Tribunals Service hold on the gender of people (i) prosecuted and convicted for television licence evasion and (ii) imprisoned for non-payment of a fine for television licence evasion.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	194289
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>No published information is available. The information in the table is taken from a live case management system. As such, it is subject to change and is not checked to the level of Official Statistics. No information is available in respect of socio-economic status of those prosecuted or convicted or imprisoned for non-payment of a fine in respect of television licence evasion. The Government has said that it will examine whether television licence evasion should be decriminalised.</p> answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright attachment 1 file name 194289, 194290, 194291 - Bradshaw - Table.XLS title Table 1 previous answer version 4249 answering member constituency Kenilworth and Southam answering member printed Jeremy Wright answering member 1560 label Biography information for Sir Jeremy Wright
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

48503

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the difference in the number of households benefiting from Energy Company Obligation in 2013 and from the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme in 2012.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	196751
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The latest provisional statistics on Green Deal and the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) showed that around 530,000 measures were installed in 450,000 households through ECO in 2013. The full statistical release can be found at:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-deal-and-energy-company-obligation-eco-monthly-statistics-april-2014" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-deal-and-energy-company-obligation-eco-monthly-statistics-april-2014</a></p><p> </p><p>No information was collected on the number of households benefitting from the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) in 2012. Around 2.4 million measures (cavity wall insulations, loft insulations and solid wall insulations) were installed in 2012 through CERT, but more than one of these measures could have been installed in some households. We do not hold information on other measures delivered through CERT by year.</p><p> </p><p>When comparing the two years it is important to bear in mind that the rules for each scheme were different. ECO has focused particularly on the delivery of harder to treat measures which were not the main focus under CERT. CERT delivery in 2012 was also the highest of the five years of CERT as this was the last year of the scheme.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

48504

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what estimate his Department has made of the required rate of delivery of household energy efficiency measures required in order to meet carbon emissions reduction targets.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	196749
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The Government published its <em>Energy Efficiency Strategy</em> in 2012, and <em>Fifth Annual Progress Report: Meeting the Carbon Budgets – 2013 Progress Report to Parliament</em> in October 2013:</p><p> </p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/65602/6927-energy-efficiency-strategy--the-energy-efficiency.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/65602/6927-energy-efficiency-strategy--the-energy-efficiency.pdf</a></p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/249172/CCC5th.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/249172/CCC5th.pdf</a>.</p><p> </p><p>These set the longer term context for delivering energy efficiency measures into the UK's housing stock, and the potential contribution they can make to delivering our longer term carbon targets.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

48508

	registered interest
	date	25/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he plans to take to ensure that consumers benefit from green deal incentives.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	196750
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2014 answer text <p>The Green Deal Incentives are being designed to be straightforward for customers to understand and take up.</p><p>We will launch a consumer engagement campaign to begin once the incentives become available.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 30/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63363

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Family Law
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the causes of changes in the number of parties representing themselves in court in private law family cases.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201801
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>Litigants in person have always been a feature of the justice system. Data on disposals in the financial year prior to April 2013 indicate that in 64% of privatefamilylaw cases there was at least one party without recorded legal representation.</p><p> </p><p>We are closely monitoring the performance of the family justice system. The number of family cases where one or more parties present themselves is published in Courts Statistics Quarterly (www.gov.uk/government/collections/court-statistics-quarterly).</p><p> </p><p>Judges are trained to help people with no legal representation and are accustomed to doing so, including by explaining procedures and what is expected of the parties. We have taken steps to help people who either want to represent themselves in court or have to do so, which include publishing a revised guide for separating parents and more training for judges. The link to the guide is:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/HMCTS/GetLeaflet.do?court_leaflets_id=2756" target="_blank">http://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/HMCTS/GetLeaflet.do?court_leaflets_id=2756</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201855 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:16:44 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63339

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Family Law
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the recent increase in the number of parties representing themselves in court in private family law cases.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201855
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>Litigants in person have always been a feature of the justice system. Data on disposals in the financial year prior to April 2013 indicate that in 64% of privatefamilylaw cases there was at least one party without recorded legal representation.</p><p> </p><p>We are closely monitoring the performance of the family justice system. The number of family cases where one or more parties present themselves is published in Courts Statistics Quarterly (www.gov.uk/government/collections/court-statistics-quarterly).</p><p> </p><p>Judges are trained to help people with no legal representation and are accustomed to doing so, including by explaining procedures and what is expected of the parties. We have taken steps to help people who either want to represent themselves in court or have to do so, which include publishing a revised guide for separating parents and more training for judges. The link to the guide is:</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/HMCTS/GetLeaflet.do?court_leaflets_id=2756" target="_blank">http://hmctsformfinder.justice.gov.uk/HMCTS/GetLeaflet.do?court_leaflets_id=2756</a></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201801 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:16:44 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63333

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how much has been spent on legally aided family mediation in each of the last four years for which figures are available.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201796
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>Statistics on the volume and value of family mediation funded through legal aid are contained within legal aid statistics: April 2013 to March 2014 (www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/322466/legal-aid-statistics-2013-14.pdf ). Tables 7.1 and 7.2 contain family mediation data between 2006-07 and 2013-14.</p><p> </p><p>An extract of the legal aid spend on family mediation is included in the table below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>MIAMS</p><p>Volumes</p></td><td><p>MIAMS expenditure</p></td><td><p>Mediations</p><p>Starts</p></td><td><p>Mediations</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>26,388</p></td><td><p>£6,276,568</p></td><td><p>14,186</p></td><td><p>£6,997,924</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>31,338</p></td><td><p>£7,796,253</p></td><td><p>15,357</p></td><td><p>£6,917,892</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>30,662</p></td><td><p>£8,053,106</p></td><td><p>13,609</p></td><td><p>£6,307,518</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>13,354</p></td><td><p>£3,182,662</p></td><td><p>8,400</p></td><td><p>£4,291,680</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The large drop off in 2013-14 was due to removal of mandatory MIAM for onward legal aid funding, which meant that solicitors were no longer referring to mediation. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act which places a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM before being able to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).</p><p> </p><p>It is too early to say what impact the introduction of statutory MIAMs has had on referral numbers but anecdotally we have heard from mediators and the judiciary that referrals are increasing and the message is getting through to the public.</p><p> </p><p>Family mediation is not regulated by this Department but legal aid remains available for mediation for those who meet the eligibility criteria.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201798 question first answered 26/06/2014 15:57:11 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63345

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effect of introducing a free non-means tested initial mediation information and assessment meeting on the take-up of mediation.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201790
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>There has been a significant decrease in referrals to publicly funded family mediation since April 2013 when the legal aid reforms were implemented. This is in part due to fewer people visiting solicitors who previously would have directed clients to mediation.</p><p> </p><p>Before April 2013, attendance at a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM) was a pre-requisite for legal representation for people eligible to obtain public funding. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act. This placed a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM for the purpose of considering mediation, before being permitted to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).</p><p> </p><p>Legal aid remains available for mediation (and for legal help with mediation) for those who meet the eligibility criteria. We are keen to encourage mediation as an alternative to court both for those eligible for public funding and for privately funded cases.</p><p> </p><p>We are aware that a small number of mediation services have closed or are in difficulty. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is constantly monitoring the situation to make sure there is sufficient provision for client access to mediation services. While a decline in demand is a contributory factor in mediation service closures, another significant factor is poor and unsustainable business models. There is some evidence that a number of the mediation services which have closed following legal aid reforms were vulnerable to closure before the reforms took effect.</p><p> </p><p>I have convened a Family Mediation Task Force, chaired by David Norgrove, which has considered many of the issues raised by the Member of Parliament for Exeter, including how to reverse the fall in referrals and engage the second party in the mediation process, and incentivising mediators and lawyers to work in partnership to support clients through the resolution of their dispute in compliance with the new legislation. A number of short-term financial options have been considered as well as the long term view for the future of dispute resolution services.</p><p> </p><p>The Taskforce report will be published imminently. The Government will respond to the report in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201782 201786 201797 201799 201800 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:26:36 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63361

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the reasons for recent changes in the provision of not-for-profit mediation.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201799
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>There has been a significant decrease in referrals to publicly funded family mediation since April 2013 when the legal aid reforms were implemented. This is in part due to fewer people visiting solicitors who previously would have directed clients to mediation.</p><p> </p><p>Before April 2013, attendance at a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM) was a pre-requisite for legal representation for people eligible to obtain public funding. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act. This placed a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM for the purpose of considering mediation, before being permitted to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).</p><p> </p><p>Legal aid remains available for mediation (and for legal help with mediation) for those who meet the eligibility criteria. We are keen to encourage mediation as an alternative to court both for those eligible for public funding and for privately funded cases.</p><p> </p><p>We are aware that a small number of mediation services have closed or are in difficulty. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is constantly monitoring the situation to make sure there is sufficient provision for client access to mediation services. While a decline in demand is a contributory factor in mediation service closures, another significant factor is poor and unsustainable business models. There is some evidence that a number of the mediation services which have closed following legal aid reforms were vulnerable to closure before the reforms took effect.</p><p> </p><p>I have convened a Family Mediation Task Force, chaired by David Norgrove, which has considered many of the issues raised by the Member of Parliament for Exeter, including how to reverse the fall in referrals and engage the second party in the mediation process, and incentivising mediators and lawyers to work in partnership to support clients through the resolution of their dispute in compliance with the new legislation. A number of short-term financial options have been considered as well as the long term view for the future of dispute resolution services.</p><p> </p><p>The Taskforce report will be published imminently. The Government will respond to the report in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201782 201786 201790 201797 201800 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:26:36 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63362

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he plans to take to address changes in the number of mediation providers in England and Wales.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201800
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>There has been a significant decrease in referrals to publicly funded family mediation since April 2013 when the legal aid reforms were implemented. This is in part due to fewer people visiting solicitors who previously would have directed clients to mediation.</p><p> </p><p>Before April 2013, attendance at a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM) was a pre-requisite for legal representation for people eligible to obtain public funding. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act. This placed a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM for the purpose of considering mediation, before being permitted to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).</p><p> </p><p>Legal aid remains available for mediation (and for legal help with mediation) for those who meet the eligibility criteria. We are keen to encourage mediation as an alternative to court both for those eligible for public funding and for privately funded cases.</p><p> </p><p>We are aware that a small number of mediation services have closed or are in difficulty. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is constantly monitoring the situation to make sure there is sufficient provision for client access to mediation services. While a decline in demand is a contributory factor in mediation service closures, another significant factor is poor and unsustainable business models. There is some evidence that a number of the mediation services which have closed following legal aid reforms were vulnerable to closure before the reforms took effect.</p><p> </p><p>I have convened a Family Mediation Task Force, chaired by David Norgrove, which has considered many of the issues raised by the Member of Parliament for Exeter, including how to reverse the fall in referrals and engage the second party in the mediation process, and incentivising mediators and lawyers to work in partnership to support clients through the resolution of their dispute in compliance with the new legislation. A number of short-term financial options have been considered as well as the long term view for the future of dispute resolution services.</p><p> </p><p>The Taskforce report will be published imminently. The Government will respond to the report in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201782 201786 201790 201797 201799 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:26:36 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63366

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the role of the professional not-for-profit mediation sector in increasing the take-up of mediation by separating and divorcing couples.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201786
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>There has been a significant decrease in referrals to publicly funded family mediation since April 2013 when the legal aid reforms were implemented. This is in part due to fewer people visiting solicitors who previously would have directed clients to mediation.</p><p> </p><p>Before April 2013, attendance at a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM) was a pre-requisite for legal representation for people eligible to obtain public funding. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act. This placed a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM for the purpose of considering mediation, before being permitted to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).</p><p> </p><p>Legal aid remains available for mediation (and for legal help with mediation) for those who meet the eligibility criteria. We are keen to encourage mediation as an alternative to court both for those eligible for public funding and for privately funded cases.</p><p> </p><p>We are aware that a small number of mediation services have closed or are in difficulty. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is constantly monitoring the situation to make sure there is sufficient provision for client access to mediation services. While a decline in demand is a contributory factor in mediation service closures, another significant factor is poor and unsustainable business models. There is some evidence that a number of the mediation services which have closed following legal aid reforms were vulnerable to closure before the reforms took effect.</p><p> </p><p>I have convened a Family Mediation Task Force, chaired by David Norgrove, which has considered many of the issues raised by the Member of Parliament for Exeter, including how to reverse the fall in referrals and engage the second party in the mediation process, and incentivising mediators and lawyers to work in partnership to support clients through the resolution of their dispute in compliance with the new legislation. A number of short-term financial options have been considered as well as the long term view for the future of dispute resolution services.</p><p> </p><p>The Taskforce report will be published imminently. The Government will respond to the report in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201782 201790 201797 201799 201800 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:26:36 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63370

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of the commercial solicitor sector and the professional not-for-profit National Family Mediation network in ensuring a future increase in take-up of family mediation by divorcing couples.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201782
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>There has been a significant decrease in referrals to publicly funded family mediation since April 2013 when the legal aid reforms were implemented. This is in part due to fewer people visiting solicitors who previously would have directed clients to mediation.</p><p> </p><p>Before April 2013, attendance at a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM) was a pre-requisite for legal representation for people eligible to obtain public funding. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act. This placed a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM for the purpose of considering mediation, before being permitted to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).</p><p> </p><p>Legal aid remains available for mediation (and for legal help with mediation) for those who meet the eligibility criteria. We are keen to encourage mediation as an alternative to court both for those eligible for public funding and for privately funded cases.</p><p> </p><p>We are aware that a small number of mediation services have closed or are in difficulty. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is constantly monitoring the situation to make sure there is sufficient provision for client access to mediation services. While a decline in demand is a contributory factor in mediation service closures, another significant factor is poor and unsustainable business models. There is some evidence that a number of the mediation services which have closed following legal aid reforms were vulnerable to closure before the reforms took effect.</p><p> </p><p>I have convened a Family Mediation Task Force, chaired by David Norgrove, which has considered many of the issues raised by the Member of Parliament for Exeter, including how to reverse the fall in referrals and engage the second party in the mediation process, and incentivising mediators and lawyers to work in partnership to support clients through the resolution of their dispute in compliance with the new legislation. A number of short-term financial options have been considered as well as the long term view for the future of dispute resolution services.</p><p> </p><p>The Taskforce report will be published imminently. The Government will respond to the report in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201786 201790 201797 201799 201800 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:26:36 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63336

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	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 ensure that family mediation fees remain affordable.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201798
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>Statistics on the volume and value of family mediation funded through legal aid are contained within legal aid statistics: April 2013 to March 2014 (www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/322466/legal-aid-statistics-2013-14.pdf ). Tables 7.1 and 7.2 contain family mediation data between 2006-07 and 2013-14.</p><p> </p><p>An extract of the legal aid spend on family mediation is included in the table below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>MIAMS</p><p>Volumes</p></td><td><p>MIAMS expenditure</p></td><td><p>Mediations</p><p>Starts</p></td><td><p>Mediations</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010-11</p></td><td><p>26,388</p></td><td><p>£6,276,568</p></td><td><p>14,186</p></td><td><p>£6,997,924</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011-12</p></td><td><p>31,338</p></td><td><p>£7,796,253</p></td><td><p>15,357</p></td><td><p>£6,917,892</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012-13</p></td><td><p>30,662</p></td><td><p>£8,053,106</p></td><td><p>13,609</p></td><td><p>£6,307,518</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013-14</p></td><td><p>13,354</p></td><td><p>£3,182,662</p></td><td><p>8,400</p></td><td><p>£4,291,680</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The large drop off in 2013-14 was due to removal of mandatory MIAM for onward legal aid funding, which meant that solicitors were no longer referring to mediation. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act which places a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM before being able to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).</p><p> </p><p>It is too early to say what impact the introduction of statutory MIAMs has had on referral numbers but anecdotally we have heard from mediators and the judiciary that referrals are increasing and the message is getting through to the public.</p><p> </p><p>Family mediation is not regulated by this Department but legal aid remains available for mediation for those who meet the eligibility criteria.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201796 question first answered 26/06/2014 15:57:11 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63340

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	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 inform the public of the benefits of mediation.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201794
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>We are delivering a wide-ranging programme of activity to improve public awareness and to make sure that advice agencies are providing the correct information about family mediation. This includes being very clear that legal aid is still available for mediation, and for legal support for mediation.</p><p> </p><p>We have taken action to update and improve information on our own websites and Gov.UK and we have included an article about mediation in the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) newsletter - aimed at advisors - to clarify that legal aid does remain available for mediation.</p><p> </p><p>We have also written to the mediation profession setting out some of the work we are doing and we continue to work very closely with the Family Mediation Council (FMC) to raise the profile of the court and that of the profession. This has principally included funding and working with the FMC to develop an improved website which can be used as a public signpost to mediation and information services, and developing a marketing ‘toolkit' to support mediators in promoting their services to prospective clients.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201795 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:02:06 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63341

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	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 inform the public of the availability of legal aid for family mediation.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201795
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>We are delivering a wide-ranging programme of activity to improve public awareness and to make sure that advice agencies are providing the correct information about family mediation. This includes being very clear that legal aid is still available for mediation, and for legal support for mediation.</p><p> </p><p>We have taken action to update and improve information on our own websites and Gov.UK and we have included an article about mediation in the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) newsletter - aimed at advisors - to clarify that legal aid does remain available for mediation.</p><p> </p><p>We have also written to the mediation profession setting out some of the work we are doing and we continue to work very closely with the Family Mediation Council (FMC) to raise the profile of the court and that of the profession. This has principally included funding and working with the FMC to develop an improved website which can be used as a public signpost to mediation and information services, and developing a marketing ‘toolkit' to support mediators in promoting their services to prospective clients.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201794 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:02:06 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63332

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what his policy is towards funding the Help with Family Mediation scheme.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201797
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>There has been a significant decrease in referrals to publicly funded family mediation since April 2013 when the legal aid reforms were implemented. This is in part due to fewer people visiting solicitors who previously would have directed clients to mediation.</p><p> </p><p>Before April 2013, attendance at a Mediation Information Assessment Meeting (MIAM) was a pre-requisite for legal representation for people eligible to obtain public funding. We introduced a statutory MIAM in April 2014 as part of the Children and Families Act. This placed a legal obligation on an applicant to attend a MIAM for the purpose of considering mediation, before being permitted to issue court proceedings in certain private family law matters (children and financial disputes).</p><p> </p><p>Legal aid remains available for mediation (and for legal help with mediation) for those who meet the eligibility criteria. We are keen to encourage mediation as an alternative to court both for those eligible for public funding and for privately funded cases.</p><p> </p><p>We are aware that a small number of mediation services have closed or are in difficulty. The Legal Aid Agency (LAA) is constantly monitoring the situation to make sure there is sufficient provision for client access to mediation services. While a decline in demand is a contributory factor in mediation service closures, another significant factor is poor and unsustainable business models. There is some evidence that a number of the mediation services which have closed following legal aid reforms were vulnerable to closure before the reforms took effect.</p><p> </p><p>I have convened a Family Mediation Task Force, chaired by David Norgrove, which has considered many of the issues raised by the Member of Parliament for Exeter, including how to reverse the fall in referrals and engage the second party in the mediation process, and incentivising mediators and lawyers to work in partnership to support clients through the resolution of their dispute in compliance with the new legislation. A number of short-term financial options have been considered as well as the long term view for the future of dispute resolution services.</p><p> </p><p>The Taskforce report will be published imminently. The Government will respond to the report in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes grouped question UIN 201782 201786 201790 201799 201800 question first answered 26/06/2014 16:26:36 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63338

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2014
	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	Separated People: Advisory Services
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his Department has spent on developing the Sorting Out Separation web app; how many people are actively using that app; what the cost is per user of the app; what assessment he has made of the value for money of the app; and what steps he plans to take to ensure that future online development in this area represents good value for money.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	201856
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The costs of the Sorting out Separation web app are £417,500 to date. This includes initial build, maintenance and development, hosting, videos and promotion.</p><p>Contracts and services for Sorting out Separation have been procured using the online ‘Contracts Finder' and CloudStore (‘G Cloud' framework). Both of these are flexible, low-cost methods of commissioning, which has enabled the Department to maintain a strong focus on value for money from initial development to live running.</p><p>As of 31 May 2014 there were 180,000 visitors to Sorting out Separation, which equates to an approximate cost per user of £2.30. We have commissioned work on search engine optimisation to maximise awareness and usage and we anticipate that this will sharply reduce the cost per user in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Thornbury and Yate answering member printed Steve Webb question first answered 30/06/2014 15:04:35 answering member 220 label Biography information for Steve Webb
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

63946

	registered interest
	date	25/06/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what estimate he has made of the number of cases in which compulsory mediation and information meetings would have been appropriate in 2013-14; and what funding is being made available in 2014-15 to provide that service.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	202292
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/07/2014 answer text <p>We do not have the data to allow us to assess how many family court applications filed in 2013-14 might have been appropriate for a Mediation Information and Assessment Meeting (MIAM) in comparison with the number of MIAMs actually attended. In 2013/14 13,354 couples attended a publicly funded MIAM (that is, where at least one of the parties was legally aided).</p><p> </p><p>Implementation of the Children and Families Act 2014 on 22 April 2014 means that attendance at a MIAM is now compulsory for the potential applicant.</p><p> </p><p>Public funding (legal aid) remains in scope for family mediation for those who qualify on means and merits<em>, and the budget for legal aid for mediation is uncapped. In 2013/14, the LAA spent £9m on mediation.</em> If one party is funded the other will be covered for the MIAM as well. Legal help with mediation is also available for the funded party and includes help from a lawyer with applying to the court for a consent order based on the agreement reached in mediation.</p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes question first answered 02/07/2014 16:44:18 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

65165

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2014
	answering body	Ministry of Justice
	answering dept id	54
	answering dept short name	Justice
	answering dept sort name	Justice
	hansard heading	Mediation
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps the Government is taking to reverse the fall in take-up of family mediation for separating and divorcing couples.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	203498
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/07/2014 answer text <p>We have changed the law to require people to consider mediation before applying to the Family Court. This will encourage people to resolve their issues through mediation rather than court, where appropriate.</p><p> </p><p>We are delivering a wide-ranging programme of activity to improve public awareness about family mediation and to make sure that advice agencies are providing the right information about it. This includes being very clear that legal aid is still available for mediation and for legal support for mediation.</p><p> </p><p>I have taken the opportunity to engage directly with mediation and legal practitioners about the issues facing them at the moment. I have hosted a webchat for people to come forward and offer ideas to encourage people to use family mediation and launched an online tool called Dialogue where people can post their ideas.</p><p> </p><p>I have hosted two roundtable meetings to discuss increasing the take-up of family mediation with key figures in the mediation profession. The ideas from these events were considered by the Family Mediation Task Force, which was chaired by David Norgrove. The ‘Report of the Family Mediation Task Force' has been published on the mediation Dialogue webpage at: <a title="http://bit.ly/1o7roWW" href="http://bit.ly/1o7roWW" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1o7roWW</a>. The report makes recommendations about increasing the uptake of family mediation. The Government will respond in due course.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bermondsey and Old Southwark answering member printed Simon Hughes question first answered 07/07/2014 08:57:15 answering member 194 label Biography information for Simon Hughes
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

76429

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2014
	answering body	Home Office
	answering dept id	1
	answering dept short name	Home Office
	answering dept sort name	Home Office
	hansard heading	ICT
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many mobile telephones, BlackBerrys and laptops were lost by her Department in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	204474
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State for the Home Department can confirm the information <br>relating to lost, and stolen, mobile phones, Blackberrys and laptops can be <br>found on the following link to the Home Office webpage on the Gov.UK website:</p><p><br>https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/306918<br>/2013_Annual_ICT_Losses.csv/preview</p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td>January - December 2013</td><td> </td><td> </td></tr><tr><td><strong>Device / Incident</strong></td><td><strong>TOTAL</strong></td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Lost Blackberrys / Mobile Phones</td><td>62</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Stolen Blackberrys / Mobile Phones</td><td>12</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Lost Laptops</td><td>3</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Stolen Laptops</td><td>5</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Lost Removable Media</td><td>1</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Stolen Removable Media</td><td>0</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Recovered Blackberrys / Mobiles</td><td>2</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>Recovered Laptops</td><td>0</td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p> </p><p>Information is recorded and published under calendar year, information on items <br>lost and stolen for 2014 will be published in early 2015.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Staffordshire Moorlands answering member printed Karen Bradley question first answered 10/07/2014 14:12:59 answering member 4110 label Biography information for Dame Karen Bradley
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

76252

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2014
	answering body	Cabinet Office
	answering dept id	53
	answering dept short name	Cabinet Office
	answering dept sort name	Cabinet Office
	hansard heading	Arts
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much was spent from the public purse on (a) wine and (b) food served at the Best of British Creative Industries reception on 30 June 2014; what the other costs to the public purse were of hosting the event; how many catering staff were required to facilitate the event; and which Ministers attended the event.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	204444
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p>The Prime Minister holds a wide range of events for a range of sectors in the UK economy and meets leaders from all areas of industry. The creative industries employ nearly 1.7 million people and are worth £70 billion to the UK economy, and the Prime Minister is keen to find out how we can do better still in this area. The cost of the reception for approximately 400 guests from across film, music and theatre was £8,860.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Horsham answering member printed Mr Francis Maude grouped question UIN 204246 question first answered 14/07/2014 16:37:04 answering member 115 label Biography information for Lord Maude of Horsham
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw

76273

	registered interest
	date	08/07/2014
	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	ICT
	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 mobile telephones, BlackBerrys and laptops were lost by his Department in (a) 2013 and (b) 2014 to date.
	tabling member constituency	Exeter
	tabling member printed	Mr Ben Bradshaw
	uin	204466
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2014 answer text <p> </p><p>The following items were reported lost during 2013 and during 2014 to date:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Item</p></td><td><p>2013</p></td><td><p>2014 to date</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mobile Telephones</p></td><td><p>0</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>BlackBerrys</p></td><td><p>5</p></td><td><p>3</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Laptops</p></td><td><p>1</p></td><td><p>0</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p><em> </em></p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>All departmental IT is fully security encrypted.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The departmental security unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. If appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further enquiries.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Any BlackBerry reported as lost is immediately and remotely deactivated and the contents deleted. The user account on any laptop reported as lost is immediately and remotely locked.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p><p>There has been no data loss or compromise as a result of these losses.</p><p> </p><p><strong> </strong></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 14/07/2014 16:23:20 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
	tabling member	230 label Biography information for Mr Ben Bradshaw