Despite the unprecedented challenges faced by the probate service during the Covid 19 pandemic, and the increased volume of applications that there have been seen since, the average length of time taken for a grant of probate following receipt of the documents required has been maintained at between five and seven weeks \u2013 with the average responses being almost 2 weeks faster in quarter 3 of 2022 than the yearly average for 2020 and 2021.<\/p>
Average waiting times for probate grants, up to September 2022, are published on gov.uk via Family Court Statistics Quarterly (Table 25): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-court-statistics-quarterly-july-to-september-2022<\/a><\/p> HMCTS has increased resources to meet the higher demand following an increased number of estates requiring probate and is further increasing resourcing to further bring down overall timeliness on digital and paper applications.<\/p> The improvement of the online probate system remains a priority for HMCTS, to ensure more applications can be issued first time and resources can be focused on reducing waiting times.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4004", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mike Freer"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Finchley and Golders Green"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mike Freer"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-12-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-12-19T15:55:22.7Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2022-12-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Probate Service: Standards"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department is taking steps to help reduce the time it takes for the Probate Office to respond to applications.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4918", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sarah Green"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Chesham and Amersham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Sarah Green"}
], "uin" : "110831"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1551567", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1551567/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Ministry of Justice published a Sentencing White Paper \u2013 \u2018A Smarter Approach to Sentencing\u2019 - in September 2020, which set out the department\u2019s plans for a system that protects the public, as well as one which the public can understand and have confidence in.<\/p> The reforms announced in the White Paper were about ensuring that the most serious and dangerous offenders are kept in prison for longer, while also tackling the underlying causes of criminal behaviour and improving the rehabilitation and supervision of offenders in the community.<\/p> The legislative measures in the White Paper formed the basis of the sentencing measures in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act which was passed earlier this year, with most measures having commenced on 28 June 2022. Measures included abolishing automatic halfway release for certain serious offenders, making a Whole Life Order the default sentencing position for offenders who commit the premeditated murder of a child, and preventing the automatic early release for offenders who become of significant public protection concern while in custody. Other measures included a statutory duty to consult on the design and delivery of unpaid work, increasing the length and flexibility of electronically monitored curfew, and streamlining the out of court disposals framework. We also brought forward measures to allow the piloting of Problem-Solving Courts and we have announced three sites that we are working closely with to launch the pilots.<\/p> The White Paper also made a number of non-legislative commitments. We have made significant progress on these commitments and work on implementation is ongoing. Key areas of progress include the cross-government Action Plan on neurodiversity which we published in June this year, in response to the independent Evidence Review we commissioned. An update on the progress made on the Action Plan is due to published shortly. We also launched the Pre-Sentence Report Pilot in March 2021, with the initial findings from the process evaluation due to be published in 2023, and we are undertaking an evaluation of the national Community Treatment Sentence Requirement programme, with early feedback expected in 2023.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4362", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Edward Argar"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Charnwood"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Edward Argar"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-12-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-12-19T15:52:12.98Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2022-12-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sentencing"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress his Department has made on the White Paper entitled A smarter approach to sentencing.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4698", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Janet Daby"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewisham East"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Janet Daby"}
], "uin" : "110854"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1551624", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1551624/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The judicial aim is that cases should be heard within 22 weeks of the date on which the appeal was registered. This timeframe can include, amongst other things, case management hearings and possible adjournments for further evidence to be obtained.<\/p> <\/p> The average time between registering the appeal and the date of final hearing was:<\/p> In 2017 \u2013 22 weeks<\/p> In 2018 \u2013 24 weeks<\/p> In 2019 \u2013 24 weeks<\/p> In 2020 \u2013 23 weeks, and<\/p> In 2021 \u2013 22 weeks<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4004", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mike Freer"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Finchley and Golders Green"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mike Freer"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2022-12-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2022-12-19T16:16:31.693Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2022-12-14", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Special Educational Needs: Tribunals"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the average time between registering an appeal and the date of the final hearing in the First-tier Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal was in each of the last 5 years for which data is available.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4776", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Munira Wilson"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Twickenham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Munira Wilson"}
], "uin" : "110865"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1551696", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1551696/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "