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1007043

	registered interest
	date	14/11/2018
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Domestic Abuse: Restraining Orders
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, whether he has had any discussions with the CPS on introducing tighter restrictions on the circumstances in which a restraining order may be varied to prevent the situation whereby a perpetrator of domestic abuse is granted a variation that permits them to work within a one mile radius from their victim.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	191386
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/11/2018 answer text <p>The Attorney General and Solicitor General meet the director of Public Prosecutions regularly to discuss CPS priority areas which includes ensuring that the CPS continues to protect vulnerable victims of crime. However, the Law Officers do not intervene on individual cases; judges have discretion to make decisions based on the evidence before them.</p><p>Section 12 of the Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 enables courts to make restraining orders at the conclusion of a case. These are civil orders; however, breach of an order is a criminal offence. The Crown Prosecution Service takes domestic abuse seriously and in 2017 in England and Wales 19,216 restraining orders were issued on conviction and 1,932 were issued on acquittal. The Government sees the response to domestic abuse as a top priority and is committed to securing justice for all victims.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency South Swindon answering member printed Robert Buckland question first answered 27/11/2018 16:10:18 answering member 4106 label Biography information for Sir Robert Buckland
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1133329

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Sexual Offences
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, whether he has had discussions with the CPS on removing reference to the merits-based approach from (a) guidance and (b) training materials on rape and sexual offences.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	266818
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/06/2019 answer text <p>Rape and serious sexual offences are horrific crimes and can have a devastating impact on victims, and the CPS will always seek to prosecute where there is sufficient evidence to do so. The Attorney General and I regularly discuss issues related to rape and sexual offences with the CPS; however, charging decisions are made independently by the CPS.</p><p> </p><p>There has been no change in policy in how the CPS makes charging decisions in rape cases. Prosecutors in the CPS follow a ‘Code’, which sets out a well-established two stage test that a case must pass before a charge can be made. The first stage of this test is the evidential stage, which considers whether there is sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction against each suspect on each charge. That test has remained and continues to remain the same. It applies to every single offence no matter how minor or serious.</p><p> </p><p>The Code that prosecutors follow has never included any specific reference to a merits-based assessment of the realistic prospect of conviction because it is an integral part of the evidential test. The second stage of the test is whether it is in the public interest to proceed with a prosecution, this is considered after the evidential stage is fulfilled.</p><p> </p><p>From 2009, DPP guidance included reference to a merits based approach.</p><p> </p><p>Following an inspection by HMCPSI in 2016, it became clear that including a separate reference to the merits based approach in the guidance was causing confusion leading to the incorrect application of the code test. To avoid this confusion, changes were made to the guidance provided by the DPP to prosecutors, including removing a document on the merits based approach.</p><p> </p><p>Those changes should not have, and did not have any impact on the proper application of the Code test that prosecutors follow when making a decision on whether to charge.</p> answering member constituency South East Cambridgeshire answering member printed Lucy Frazer question first answered 28/06/2019 12:06:30 answering member 4517 label Biography information for Lucy Frazer
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1145056

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Sexual Offences: Convictions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps the Government is taking to improve the conviction rate for rape and sexual offences.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	287542
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><em>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</em></p> answering member constituency Torridge and West Devon answering member printed Mr Geoffrey Cox question first answered 09/09/2019 16:42:25 answering member 1508 label Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Cox
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1145066

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Sexual Offences: Prosecutions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps he is taking to increase the number of reported rape and sexual offences that are brought to trial.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	287545
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><em>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</em></p> answering member constituency Torridge and West Devon answering member printed Mr Geoffrey Cox question first answered 09/09/2019 16:42:49 answering member 1508 label Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Cox
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1145080

	registered interest
	date	05/09/2019
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Sexual Offences: Prosecutions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that more reports of rape, attempted rape and sexual offences end in prosecution.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	287549
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/09/2019 answer text <p><em>It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.</em></p> answering member constituency Torridge and West Devon answering member printed Mr Geoffrey Cox question first answered 09/09/2019 16:43:06 answering member 1508 label Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Cox
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1180106

	registered interest
	date	24/02/2020
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Attorney General: Civil Society
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, how much funding his Department has allocated to (a) civil society and (b) campaigning bodies in each of the last three years.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	19824
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/03/2020 answer text <p>The Attorney General’s Office has not allocated any funding to civil society or<br>campaigning bodies in the last three years.</p><p /><p /> answering member constituency Northampton North answering member printed Michael Ellis question first answered 03/03/2020 13:04:31 answering member 4116 label Biography information for Sir Michael Ellis
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1466112

	registered interest
	date	26/05/2022
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Sexual Offences: Prosecutions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, what steps she is taking to increase prosecution rates for (a) sexual assault and (b) rape offences.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	900270
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/05/2022 answer text <p>This Government is determined to increase the number of rape and sexual assault cases going to court.</p><p> </p><p>The CPS is undertaking extensive work to drive up and improve prosecutions through its Joint National RASSO Action Plan with the police, the Rape Strategy, and the Operation Soteria Path Finders, which are testing methods for best practice in six CPS Areas.</p><p> </p><p>Since publication of its strategy, the CPS has continued to see increases in the number of rape charges, prosecutions and convictions.</p> answering member constituency Cheltenham answering member printed Alex Chalk question first answered 26/05/2022 15:53:54 answering member 4481 label Biography information for Alex Chalk
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

62824

	registered interest
	date	19/06/2014
	answering body	Attorney General
	answering dept id	88
	answering dept short name	Attorney General
	answering dept sort name	Attorney General
	hansard heading	Apprentices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Attorney General, how many apprentices have been hired under the Law Officers' Department's new contract for procurement.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	201525
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/06/2014 answer text <p>The Law Officers' Departments do not hold any central records of the number of apprentices who may have been hired by its suppliers. To provide this information would involve contacting numerous companies and would therefore incur a disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Hertfordshire answering member printed Oliver Heald question first answered 26/06/2014 13:43:26 answering member 69 label Biography information for Sir Oliver Heald
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1172570

	registered interest
	date	22/01/2020
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Business: Iraq
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information she holds on the number of UK-based businesses operating in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq; and if she will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	6651
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2020 answer text <p>We do not hold information on UK-based businesses operating in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq. Advice for businesses wishing to do business in Iraq, including the Kurdistan region, is available on Gov.uk.</p> answering member constituency Stratford-on-Avon answering member printed Nadhim Zahawi question first answered 29/01/2020 16:05:38 answering member 4113 label Biography information for Nadhim Zahawi
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon

1179335

	registered interest
	date	21/02/2020
	answering body	Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept id	201
	answering dept short name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	answering dept sort name	Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
	hansard heading	Small Businesses: Government Assistance
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he plans to take to support small businesses in (a) Harlow and (b) the UK.
	tabling member constituency	Harlow
	tabling member printed	Robert Halfon
	uin	18758
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2020 answer text <p>The Government-backed British Business Bank helps to drive economic growth by making finance markets work better for smaller businesses, enabling them to prosper and grow. The British Business Bank is currently supporting over £7.2bn of finance to over 93,000 SMEs across the UK (as at September 2019). The Bank’s Online Finance Hub offers independent and impartial information on different finance options, helping smaller businesses to identify the right finance options for their needs.</p><p> </p><p>The Bank’s Start Up Loans programme has delivered over 69,000 loans worth over £565m since it was established in 2012. In Harlow, the programme has delivered 75 loans worth over £598,000. Each Start Up Loan comes with 12 months free mentoring and support.</p><p> </p><p>Harlow has also been invited to develop proposals a Town Deal of up to £25 million. The new Town Board met for the first time in January and is developing a Town Investment Plan. The Towns Fund will address various town centre issues, including business environment.</p><p> </p><p>The objective of the Towns Fund is to drive the economic regeneration of towns to deliver long term economic and productivity growth, including through ensuring towns have the space to support small business development.</p><p> </p><p>Harlow Enterprise Zone (EZ) is one of 45 government-designated EZs which aim to incentivise small business start-ups and growth principally by offering business rates relief and simplified planning. Key objectives include attracting increased inward investment, and the creation of job opportunities for local residents.</p><p> </p><p>Government supports a network of 38 Growth Hubs across England, which offer free expert advice to on the most suitable business finance as well as access to regional and national organisations and networks. Businesses in Harlow and across Essex are encouraged to access support and advice at South East Business Hub<sup><sup>[1]</sup></sup><sup>.</sup></p><p> </p><p>Harlow firms are also encouraged to access the BEST (Essex) Growth Hub. Although physically based in Southend, the Growth Hub’s services are available to Harlow businesses.</p><p> </p><p>The recently launched Government’s own Business Support Website brings together on one new and easy-to-use site, information, support and advice to businesses in England. The support is organised around four themes: Finance and business planning; Leadership and talent; Innovation and technology; and Exporting. The site also offers a live web chat facility with business advisers and the Business Support Helpline – 0300 456 3565.</p><p>[1] <a href="https://southeastbusiness.org.uk/" target="_blank">https://southeastbusiness.org.uk/</a></p> answering member constituency Sutton and Cheam answering member printed Paul Scully question first answered 02/03/2020 17:01:27 answering member 4414 label Biography information for Paul Scully
	tabling member	3985 label Biography information for Robert Halfon