{ "format" : "linked-data-api", "version" : "0.2", "result" : {"_about" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answer.attachment.title=Table", "definition" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/meta/answeredquestions.text?answer.attachment.title=Table", "extendedMetadataVersion" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answer.attachment.title=Table&_metadata=all", "first" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?_page=0&answer.attachment.title=Table", "hasPart" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answer.attachment.title=Table", "isPartOf" : "http://eldaddp.azurewebsites.net/answeredquestions.text?answer.attachment.title=Table", "items" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1723718", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1723718/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department is aware of 61 Post Office members of staff who were prosecuted by DWP between 2001 and 2006. Each of the cases involved welfare-related fraud offences. In most cases this involved encashment of stolen benefit payment order books. There is no evidence that any of the cases prosecuted by DWP relied on the Horizon system. They followed lengthy, complex investigations, relying on multiple sources of evidence.<\/p>
<\/p>
Until 2012, DWP prosecuted its own cases. The cases were handled by DWP Solicitors who would instruct Counsel to represent DWP at Court. In March 2012, the prosecutorial function of the DWP was assigned to the Crown Prosecution Service.<\/p>
In the early 2000\u2019s the Department moved to paying benefits automatically into people\u2019s bank accounts which significantly reduced the opportunity for benefit fraud, including potential offences by Post Office staff.<\/p>
<\/p>
To assist, please find attached a table setting out the information the Department holds for each of the 61 cases. The information includes the date of conviction, the location of the court, and the sentence (outcome) for each of the 61 cases.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4147", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Sherlock"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Sherlock"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1723718/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "Annex 1-table.pdf"} , "title" : "Table"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-08-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL365"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-08-12T09:39:55.827Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-07-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Horizon IT System: Prosecutions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Offord of Garvel on 13 May (HL Deb col 456), what were the titles of the cases prosecuted by the Department of Work and Pensions against postmasters in England and Wales, and in each case what was (1) the date of proceedings, (2) the location of the court, and (3) the outcome.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4885", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sikka"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Sikka"} ], "uin" : "HL364"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1723719", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1723719/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department is aware of 61 Post Office members of staff who were prosecuted by DWP between 2001 and 2006. Each of the cases involved welfare-related fraud offences. In most cases this involved encashment of stolen benefit payment order books. There is no evidence that any of the cases prosecuted by DWP relied on the Horizon system. They followed lengthy, complex investigations, relying on multiple sources of evidence.<\/p>
<\/p>
Until 2012, DWP prosecuted its own cases. The cases were handled by DWP Solicitors who would instruct Counsel to represent DWP at Court. In March 2012, the prosecutorial function of the DWP was assigned to the Crown Prosecution Service.<\/p>
In the early 2000\u2019s the Department moved to paying benefits automatically into people\u2019s bank accounts which significantly reduced the opportunity for benefit fraud, including potential offences by Post Office staff.<\/p>
<\/p>
To assist, please find attached a table setting out the information the Department holds for each of the 61 cases. The information includes the date of conviction, the location of the court, and the sentence (outcome) for each of the 61 cases.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4147", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Sherlock"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Sherlock"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1723719/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "Annex 1-table.pdf"} , "title" : "Table"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-08-12", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "HL364"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-08-12T09:39:55.857Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "29"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Work and Pensions"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-07-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Horizon IT System: Prosecutions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to publish a list of the cases of sub-postmaster prosecutions which have been initiated by the Department of Work and Pensions between 1999 and 2018 and subsequently passed to the Crown Prosecution Service; and the outcome of each of those cases.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4885", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Sikka"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Sikka"} ], "uin" : "HL365"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722840", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722840/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The information requested is provided in the table attached with this answer. These tables include data covering 2007 to 2023, on the average custodial sentence length of offenders with a specified number of previous convictions who were sentenced to immediate custody.<\/p>
This data is not regularly published or held in an easily accessible format. The information supplied has been sourced from a complicated retrieval from the Police National Computer database.<\/p>
It should be noted that sentencing decisions in individual cases are for the independent judiciary.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4056", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nic Dakin"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Scunthorpe"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Nicholas Dakin"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722840/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "2024-07-31 PQ 1345 table.xlsx"} , "title" : "Table"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-07-31", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-07-31T09:43:23.257Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Prison Sentences"} , "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 sentence length in months was for people who received an immediate custodial sentence and had (a) zero, (b) between one and four, (c) between five and nine, (d) between 10 and 15, (e) between 16 and 25, (f) between 26 and 50, (g) between 51 and 75, (h) between 76 and 100 and (i) 101 or more previous convictions in each year since 2007.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4679", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Neil O'Brien"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harborough, Oadby and Wigston"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Neil O'Brien"} ], "uin" : "1345"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722841", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722841/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The information requested is provided in the table attached with this answer. This table includes data, covering the period 2007 \u2013 2023, on the number of offenders with a specified number of previous cautions and convictions who were sentenced to immediate custody for a year or less.<\/p>
This data is not regularly published or held in an easily accessible format. The information supplied has been sourced from a complicated retrieval from the Police National Computer database.<\/p>
It should be noted that sentencing decisions in individual cases are for the independent judiciary.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4056", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nic Dakin"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Scunthorpe"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Nicholas Dakin"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722841/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "2024-07-31 PQ 1346 table.xlsx"} , "title" : "Table"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-07-31", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-07-31T09:44:20.513Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Prison Sentences"} , "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, how many people who were given an immediate custodial sentence of a year or less had (a) no, (b) one, (c) two, (d) three, (e) four, (f) five, (g) six, (h) seven, (i) eight, (j) nine, (k) 10 to 19, (l) 20 to 29, (m) 30 to 39 and (n) 40 or more previous convictions and cautions in each year since 2007.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4679", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Neil O'Brien"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harborough, Oadby and Wigston"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Neil O'Brien"} ], "uin" : "1346"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722843", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722843/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Information on the highest number of previous community sentences received by an offender sentenced to immediate custody, covering the period 2007 \u2013 2023, can be viewed in the attached table.<\/p>
It is worth noting that the same individuals may appear in more than one year. This data is not regularly published or held in an easily accessible format. The information supplied has been sourced from a complicated retrieval from the Police National Computer database.<\/p>
It should be noted that sentencing decisions in individual cases are for the independent judiciary.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4056", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nic Dakin"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Scunthorpe"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Nicholas Dakin"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722843/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "2024-07-31 PQ 1348 table.xlsx"} , "title" : "Table"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-07-31", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-07-31T09:46:20.787Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Community Orders"} , "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 highest number of previous community orders issued to an offender sentenced to immediate custody was in each year since 2007.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4679", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Neil O'Brien"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harborough, Oadby and Wigston"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Neil O'Brien"} ], "uin" : "1348"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722844", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722844/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The information requested is provided in the table attached with this answer. The table includes data covering the period 2007 \u2013 2023, on:<\/p>
It is worth noting that an offender may have had previous custodial sentences as well as previous community or suspended sentences. This data is not regularly published or held in an easily accessible format. The information supplied has been sourced from a complicated retrieval from the Police National Computer database.<\/p>
It should be noted that sentencing decisions in individual cases are for the independent judiciary.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4056", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Nic Dakin"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Scunthorpe"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Sir Nicholas Dakin"} , "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722844/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "2024-07-31 PQ 1349 table.xlsx"} , "title" : "Table"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-07-31", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-07-31T09:47:20.353Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "54"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Justice"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2024-07-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Prison Sentences"} , "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, how many and what proportion of offenders sentenced to immediate custody had (a) zero, (b) between one and four, (c) between five and nine, (d) between 10 and 15, (e) between 16 and 25, (f) between 26 and 50 and (g) more than 50 previous (i) community orders and (ii) suspended sentences in each year since 2007.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4679", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Neil O'Brien"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Harborough, Oadby and Wigston"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Neil O'Brien"} ], "uin" : "1349"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722845", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Ministry of Justice"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1722845/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "